Mourinho calls for two-match Vidic ban

Nemanja Vidic should get at least a two-match ban for his red card in the Club World Cup final and miss Manchester United's Champions League matches against Internazionale, the Serie A club's coach Jose Mourinho said.

The Serbia defender was sent off for elbowing striker Claudio Bieler in the face in United's 1-0 win over Liga de Quito and will serve his punishment in European competition with Uefa yet to decide the length of any ban.

Mourinho also expressed surprise that England forward Wayne Rooney had been cleared of allegedly stamping on midfielder Kasper Risgard during United's 2-2 draw with AaB Aalborg last month.

"I was amazed that Rooney was not banned," the Portuguese coach told La Gazzetta dello Sport. "I would be amazed if Vidic did not get at least two matches, which could be too little for a gesture like that in a match seen by the whole world."

Mourinho repeated that he is happy to have been drawn against United in the first knockout round. "I wanted them because I don't see a great difference between Manchester, Bayern [Munich], Liverpool or Barcelona and, given that I love pressure and the excitement of the win-or-die match, I prefer to have the challenge of the European and world champions."

Mourinho also dismissed media speculation that the Serie A title-holders are interested in signing forward Michael Owen from Newcastle United. "I never thought of him," he said. "Over the last year he has had lots of major injuries and he is not the Owen we knew."