Mourinho escapes with 'telling off' over gesture

Jose Mourinho yesterday received what amounted to a "telling off" from the Football Association but will not face any formal charges after being sent from the dug-out during Sunday's Carling Cup final in Cardiff. The Chelsea manager has also been warned not to repeat the "silence" gesture he made when his side scored their equalising goal against Liverpool.

Jose Mourinho yesterday received what amounted to a "telling off" from the Football Association but will not face any formal charges after being sent from the dug-out during Sunday's Carling Cup final in Cardiff. The Chelsea manager has also been warned not to repeat the "silence" gesture he made when his side scored their equalising goal against Liverpool.

The incident prompted the fourth official, Phil Crossley, to usher Mourinho away from the touchline and force him to watch the climax to his side's 3-2 victory on television monitors from within the Millennium Stadium. Mourinho claimed the gesture, in which he raised his finger to his lips, was aimed at critics in the media, not at the nearby Liverpool fans, although the press box was on the other side of the ground.

In a letter sent yesterday, the FA reminded Mourinho of his "responsibilities to the game". Although the letter has not been published, an FA source confirmed that it would effectively amount to a "telling off" for Mourinho, who apologised after the incident. In its statement the FA said: "There will be no further action taken in respect of this matter," while Chelsea confirmed that they did not intend to make any response.

Confusion surrounded exactly what happened after Steven Gerrard's headed own goal in the 79th minute, but the referee Steve Bennett's match report made it clear that Mourinho was "sent from the technical area by the match officials".

Bennett was informed of what was happening via a buzzer and "made aware" of what Crossley was doing. The two officials, the report says, "made eye contact" and Bennett was "satisfied that the fourth official was dealing with the situation properly". A policeman subsequently escorted Mourinho down the tunnel while Crossley has insisted he acted "within my jurisdiction".

However, Mourinho still faces an FA investigation into his allegation that Manchester United players "cheated" during January's Carling Cup semi-final at Stamford Bridge. And Uefa could also launch disciplinary action following his failure to attend a mandatory press conference after Chelsea's Champions' League tie with Barcelona last week.

Chelsea must also answer a charge of failing to control their players during the Premiership win at Blackburn in February. A charge of failing to control their supporters after a League Cup match with West Ham is still to be heard.