Jose Mourinho: Chelsea manager resumes hostilities with the FA in not so silent press conference ahead of Aston Villa match

Blues boss said that he was only attending the press conference because of Premier League rules

Jose Mourinho refused to fulfil his interview responsibilities with Sky (Getty images)

Jose Mourinho resumed his hostilities with the Football Association today, saying once again that he feared punishment for speaking out of turn and claiming that he was only attending his Friday press conference because of Premier League regulations.

In an occasionally awkward briefing for the broadcasters and radio reporters, Mourinho was notably brief with the correspondent for Sky Sports News, whose coverage he has blamed for the three-match ban for Diego Costa. Asked in his first question by Sky’s reporter Nick Collins for his reaction to signing Juan Cuadrado for £26.8m, Mourinho replied, “Normal”.

Asked whether the Colombian World Cup star would feature against Aston Villa tomorrow, Mourinho replied: “I think he can, unless the Premier League or FA say some rule stops him.”

Mourinho boycotted his press conference last Friday and refused to make himself available for radio, television and newspapers before and after Sunday’s game against Manchester City. Asked why he had done so, the Chelsea manager seemed to suggest that it had been a calculated move to draw attention to his grievances over the Costa ban for his stamp on Martin Skrtel.

Mourinho said: “If you want, you can make a silence very noisy. It depends what you want to do. You could. You could. You could make noise with my silence, because you know the reason for my silence. It depends on you. If I was a journalist, from silence I could make lots of words.”

Then asked why he had changed his mind about attending press conferences, Mourinho said: “You know why I'm here, so you cannot expect that I'm super happy to be here.” On whether he expected to be fined by the Premier League, Mourinho continued a long-running theme of his that he feels the FA has victimised him based on the fact it failed to punish Arsene Wenger for a push on his opposite number at Stamford Bridge this season.

With tongue in cheek, Mourinho said: “You know, the only surprise I had in relation for that was not to be punished when I was pushed by another manager. Apart from that, I can expect everything.”

As for the Diego Costa situation, Mourinho once again poked fun at the FA, joking that the governing body might start to punish him for his thoughts as well as his words and deeds. Mourinho said: “I don't reflect, because maybe I'll be punished if I reflect. Maybe they can read my reflections, and I don't want that.”

Arsene Wenger pushed Jose Mourinho back in October (GETTY IMAGES)

Cesc Fabregas is back in the first team squad for the game against Villa. Filipe Luis is injured and Diego Costa is suspended. Mourinho said he had not decided whether or not Cuadrado would feature. “He trained just two days. I cannot say much. The business situation went almost to the last minute on Monday, he had to go to Paris for visas and the legal situation on the Tuesday. He only trained here a couple of days. I cannot say much.”

Mourinho has not won at Villa Park against Villa in five attempts. Asked why that was the case, Mourinho said: “Because the opponents score more goals than us, or sometimes the same number of goals.”