Jose Mourinho yesterday launched a fierce attack on the ''disgraceful'' leaking of his off-guard comments about Samuel Eto'o and his goal-shy strikers, writes Martin Lipton in Istanbul .
Mourinho was angered and embarrassed when what Chelsea insist were ''private, jocular and off the record'' comments he made about his strikers at a sponsorship launch in Switzerland last week were broadcast by French TV network Canal+.
The Chelsea boss was caught on camera admitting ''I have a team but no striker'' to executives of Swiss luxury watchmakers Hublot, adding: ''We have Eto'o, yes. But Eto'o is 32, maybe even 35.''
Asked if he was embarrassed by the comments, Mourinho replied: ''I think you should be embarrassed as a media professional.
''From the ethical point of view you shouldn't be happy that a colleague is able to record a private conversation and make it public. You should all be embarrassed because it's against the ethics of your work.
''Is it a not happy comment? Absolutely. But from the ethical point of view it's a real disgrace.''
Mourinho added: ''I'm not defending what I said. I'm attacking something that is fundamental in your professional area. That person showed exactly what he is or what he doesn't know about the job.
''My comment was obviously not a good one or one I would do in a serious way or an official way in an interview.
''Firstly because I don't make fun of anyone; secondly because if there is a list of manager who defends their players, I'm one of them; thirdly, because Eto'o is Eto'o, four times a Champions League winner.
''It was with him I had the best ever season of my career at Inter. He is one of the few players working with me at a second club and you don't do that if you don't like the player or the person.
''But he has no reason to be upset. He said a few years ago that Jose Mourinho was the only manager he would never play for -and the next year he played for me at Inter and now he is with me here.
''As far as I'm concerned, there was no story. It was a funny conversation, we were laughing.
''But it's a disgrace that somebody recorded a private conversation when we didn't know it.
''If you want to speak about the game, I'm ready, if you want to keep speaking about some non-ethical journalist, I've had enough.''
Tomorrow's game sees former Chelsea favourite Didier Drogba up against his former side for the first time and goalkeeper Petr Cech admitted: ''It's a new situation for us.
''Didier was a huge part of our team for nine years. It's the first time he's played against us and we know how big a player he is for them.
''We have to play well against him and make sure he doesn't have chances to score.
''But we've had a good period and good results and we'd like to carry that on. It will be a difficult game and we know we will have to be ready.''
Mourinho echoed his keeper's view of the match-up with the Ivorian powerhouse.
''It's a strange feeling to have Didier in the other team, I have to admit that,'' said Mourinho.
''But we have to do our job. I want to help my team and he will try to do his job and score. We have to forget our past during the game.''
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