Mourinho: world coach vote was flawed

AP

Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho expects to take the blame instead of his players if they fail to overturn a 4-1 deficit against Borussia Dortmund in their Champions League semi-final second leg.

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Madrid - Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho has questioned the awarding of FIFA's World Coach of the Year for 2012 to Spain manager Vicente del Bosque, claiming there were people who voted for him that had their votes changed.

The Portuguese finished second in the vote carried out by international players, managers and journalists, but the former Chelsea boss said he didn't attend the gala event in Zurich in January due to what he believed to be irregularities in the vote.

“I don't regret not attending the event in person,” he told Portuguese TV station RTP.

“One, two or three people called me to say they had voted for me and in the end another name appeared in their votes. Therefore I decided not to go.”

However, FIFA confirmed that the official list published with the votes of all those who took part was correct.

Meanwhile, Mourinho reiterated his belief that Cristiano Ronaldo should have won the award for World Player of the Year at the same event ahead of Barcelona's Lionel Messi.

Messi won the award for the fourth consecutive year, but Mourinho said that Ronaldo's feats in guiding Real Madrid to the Spanish title last year should have been recognised.

“Cristiano Ronaldo ought to have been the winner of the last Ballon d'Or. He was the champion of the league and decisive in a record championship win both in terms of goals and points,” Mourinho said.

And Mourinho also quashed suggestions that he has agreed a deal to leave Real come the end of the season.

Speculation has linked the 50-year-old with a move to Manchester City, Chelsea or Paris Saint-Germain, but he insists there is no such deal in place.

“I don't have any agreement with a club to leave. There is nothing signed, it is nonsense to say otherwise.”

Sapa-AFP