Jose Mourinho explains how he hid in a laundry basket to escape a ban in Chelsea | Football News

Mourinho gave a keynote speech before Chelsea's clash against Bayern Munich in 2005

Jose Mourinho at a training session before the return match with Bayern Munich in 2005

Jose Mourinho has finally admitted to having already escaped a two-game ban by hiding in a laundry basket to talk to a Chelsea team.

Mourinho, sacked by Manchester United in December, said be in sports how he avoided suspension on the eve of the quarter-finals of the 2005 Champions League against Bayern Munich by ensuring that Chelsea's equipment technician helped him slip into the basket.

Newspapers reported the incident in 2007, but Mourinho waited years before openly describing how he managed to defeat UEFA's suspicions.

"I go to the locker room during the day, so I was there from noon and the game is at 7 am I just want to be in the locker room when the players arrive," said the 55-year-old on the phone. be in sports.

Chelsea was finally eliminated in the semifinal against Liverpool, who won the tournament

"I went there and no one saw me, the problem was to leave afterwards, and Stewart Bannister, the equipment specialist, put me in the basket. open so I can breathe.

"But when he came out of the locker room, the guys from UEFA were following us and desperately trying to find me, so he closed the box and I could not breathe! When he opened the box, I was dying! seriously! I was claustrophobic, Promised, it's true! "

Chelsea won the first leg 4-2 at Stamford Bridge, advancing to the semi-finals 6-5 overall before Liverpool's semi-final defeat and Luis Garcia's famous "ghost goal".

Chelsea won the first leg 4-2 before going 6-5 in total

In 2007, Chelsea issued a statement about this information, claiming that they had only served to weaken the team before this year's Champions League semi-finals there, also against Liverpool.

"The situation is very clear, both matches were controlled by UEFA, and they were more than satisfied on both nights that their decision was intact, hence the declarations published by UEFA at the end of the day. Period and later.

"The only reason to publish this so close to an important match is to serve an agenda that aims to undermine our team."

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