Hitzfeld hits out at 'arrogant' Mourinho
Former Bayern Munich coach Ottmar Hitzfeld has stoked the fire ahead of his ex-club’s Champions League tie with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday by branding the London club’s manager Jose Mourinho as “arrogant”.
Mourinho will be absent from the touchline for both legs of the quarter-final against the Bundesliga leaders after UEFA imposed a sanction on the Portuguese coach in the wake of events surrounding the last 16 first-leg clash with Barcelona.
The Chelsea chief was punished after claiming Barca’s coach Frank Rijkaard met referee Anders Frisk at half-time during the clash.
The Swedish official has since retired from refereeing after receiving death threats in the aftermath of the match.
Hitzfeld for one, is unimpressed with Mourinho’s attitude.
“I’ve already got to know him and would not be a friend of his,” said Hitzfeld, who lifted the Champions League with Borussia Dortmund in 1997 and again in 2001 with Bayern Munich.
“Mourinho is an arrogant coach, he is very cold and sure of himself and that’s not a sportsman,” he told Premiere Television.
Mourinho will be hoping to emulate the German by winning European football’s elite competition with two clubs, after steering Porto to the Champions League last season.
Hitzfeld is due to return to coaching in the summer after taking the year off to spend time with his family and brush up on his English.
A move to the Premiership would mean the man once touted as Alex Ferguson’s replacement at Manchester United could be in line to clash with Mourinho on a regular basis next season.
