Bosingwa snubs Bento and Portugal

Jose Bosingwa says he will not play for Portugal again while Paulo Bento is in charge (Getty Images)

Jose Bosingwa, the Chelsea defender, has said he will not play international football again while Paulo Bento remains Portugal manager. The 29-year-old had been pre-selected to join his national side for the Euro 2012 play-off games with Bosnia but was left out of Bento's final 25-man squad.

The former Porto full-back has not been picked by Bento for more than a year after the pair fell out over his decision to withdraw from a squad after sustaining an injury, and yesterday insisted his omission in favour of Silvio, of Atletico Madrid, and Joao Pereira, of Sporting Lisbon, was the final straw.

"With all due respect to the Portuguese league, I play for Chelsea with many of the best players in the world," he told the newspaper A Bola. "I never wanted to comment on this, in fact I just had to respect them because all coaches have preferences and my team-mates deserve consideration.

"But I feel insulted and disrespected by his statements about me. I am not going to go back on my word and I will not wear the national shirt whilst he is coach – he has not the mental or emotional capacity to lead a group of men."