Mourinho dog incident overshadows Wembley
Chelsea Jose Mourinho may yet still find himself in the doghouse even though his pet Yorkshire terrier is now understood to be safe and well.
The dog, at the centre of a row over veterinary documentation, was believed to have gone missing after police called at Mourinho’s Belgravia home to remove the animal.
Officers, along with an official from the Animal Welfare Service, called at Mourinho’s family at 7.45pm on Tuesday night in order to quarantine his dog amid fears it had been brought back into the country in contravention of anti-rabies laws.
Mourinho’s wife Tami was with their children Matilde, 10, and Jose Junior, six, when the police called and the Chelsea coach rushed home from the club’s Player of the Year awards to try to resolve the situation.
However, the police officers arrested Mourinho for obstructing them in their course of duty when the dog could not be found.
He was taken to a west London police station where he was cautioned, fingerprinted and a sample of DNA taken.
However, it is understood the dog is now safe and that the Chelsea coach will co-operate fully with the animal health authorities.
But the City of London Corporation, responsible for enforcing rabies laws in London, will almost certainly want to talk to the Chelsea coach and detain the dog.
A spokesperson for the Corporation said: “Acting on information received from a practising vet, an Animal Health Inspector from the City of London Corporation visited an address in SW1 concerning an alleged offence under the Animal Health Act 1981 and the Rabies Order 1974. This is an on-going investigation.”
The rumpus over the dog and Mourinho’s subsequent arrest have cast a shadow, albeit a somewhat humorous one, over the build-up to Saturday’s FA Cup final between Chelsea and Manchester United.
Mourinho is still struggling to find 16 fit players and accepts he may have to include youngsters on the substitutes bench.
Striker Andriy Shevchenko, midfielder Michael Ballack, and defender Ricardo Carvalho are out while Ashley Cole, Arjen Robben and Mikel John Obi are very doubtful.
Cole has delayed surgery on his ankle so he can be fit for the final at the new Wembley but it means he will miss England’s games against Brazil and Estonia.
The England left-back is willing to take some of the blame for Chelsea’s lapses in defence during a season when they handed the Barclays Premiership crown to United.
Cole, who joined the club last summer from Arsenal, believes his performances would have been better if it had not been for his injury.
Cole declared: “To be honest, I feel I’ve let the team and the manager down a bit. I’ve not played as well as I know I can and I’ve had this niggling ankle injury.
“There have been games where we’ve maybe been a bit dodgy at the back and conceded silly goals and this season has really taken its toll.”
Mourinho may have to gamble on both Cole and Robben against United but insists that neither of them are really fit enough.
Mourinho added: “I think Ashley and Arjen are ready. But if they are ready to play, I have my doubts. If they play, they cannot play for 90 minutes because they haven’t trained.
“The last time Ashley made a movement was against Liverpool in the Champions League semi-final and Arjen was exactly the same.
“If they are fit from the body point of view, I have many doubts they have good conditions to play the game.
“But if I can have Robben on the bench to give 15 or 20 minutes, I would be very happy with that and I think that is going to happen.
“I have to decide whether to start with Ashley or Wayne Bridge – I have to make my decision. Who knows? I could play with both because Bridge can also play in midfield and we are struggling there.
“Bridge has played a couple of matches for me in that position and maybe I have to play both.”
