These days it is hard to be a soccer coach. Defending champion Serie A club Inter Milan’s coach Jose Mourinho found this out the hard way. In a match against Bari last week, Jose Mourinho, who once proclaimed himself as The Special One, decided to substitute Ghana’s Muntari Sully barely 30 minutes into the game. That would have been the coach’s prerogative, and would normally have attracted little or no attention.
But Jose Mourinho decided to explain his reason for making this early substitution. He was reported in the press to have said that the practicing Muslim player was not performing well because he lacked energy, and he reportedly attributed this to the player observing the Muslim fast during the month of Ramadan. Jose Mourinho’s remark brought an immediate rebuke from Mohamed Nour Dachan, president of Italy’s Union of Islamic Communities and Organizations who told Mourinho to talk less.
The problem is that after Mohamed Nour Dachan’s reaction, several Islamic extremist websites (forums) posted death threats to Jose Mourinho. How did Jose Mourinho react to this? He blamed the press for misquoting him. Jose Mourinho claimed that the press did not quote him fully, the missing portion being: “One cannot criticize Muntari’s decision because it is a question of faith and religion.”
How did Mohamed Nour Dachan react to these death threats against Jose Mourinho? This is what he said: “We firmly condemn the threats made to the Inter Milan coach Jose Mourinho, with whom we want to express our solidarity.”
And how did politicians react to all this? Claudio D’Amico, a politician for the right-wing Lega Nord said: “People cannot even make a simple observation, such as during Ramadan a Muslim who doesn’t eat has less energy, without inciting someone’s wrath. What Mourinho said is not offensive to anyone, especially the Islamic religion, but a simple banal observation.” Then referring to the Muslim extremists, he said: “As usual, there are Muslims who want to apply liberty of expression and democracy in their own fashion.”
Think about it. Should people allow extremists (whether political or religious) to hijack the freedom and liberty of expression and democracy for their own selfish agenda, which oftentimes cause untold miseries and sufferings to others? Is it right that Jose Mourinho should be threatened with death over his reported Ramadan remark? If not, what can be done to prevent this sort of thing happening again in future?
Jose Mourinho just can’t seem to stop his mouth from running all over the place. Well I do agree he’s one of the top football managers. He would be better, if not for his mouth and at times, lack of respect for others.
Tsk, tsk, be careful what u say in public, esp to the press. Especially about religion! But I guess this particular coach didnt care, He had said *some* things before, didn’t he, I remember he declared to everybody that he’s the Special One? Special in what way, I wonder.