Jamie Redknapp defends Jose Mourinho's reaction in Manchester United draw at Chelsea
Saturday 20 October 2018 23:59, UK
Jamie Redknapp defended Jose Mourinho's reaction to being goaded after Chelsea's late leveller against his Manchester United side.
Mourinho was approached by Chelsea coach Marco Ianni after Ross Barkley's 96th-minute equaliser, with the Italian coach punching the air in front of the visiting manager before running away.
He reacted by attempting to get to Ianni, who had disappeared down the tunnel at Stamford Bridge, but was held back by stewards as a fracas broke out involving players and coaching staff around them.
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Redknapp told Sky Sports: "I get it, a little bit. He's goaded by the assistant, and there's no need to get involved there. He's tried to get a rise out of Jose, and sometimes frustration does get the better of you.
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"You've just conceded a last-minute equaliser, it hurts. I don't always stick up for him, or feel he conducts himself in the right way, but I get it.
"There's passion involved, it's high-stakes, he's under enormous pressure, it's not ideal when you see a manager react like that, but it's why we love football.
"When you see a last-minute equaliser like that, and the crowd erupts. It's not ideal, but I thought it was a fantastic game."
After the game, Mourinho said Ianni had apologised, while Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri said he was "not happy" with the interaction, which had shown Chelsea's backroom staff to be "in the wrong side of the situation."
Chelsea defender and goalscorer Antonio Rudiger told Sky Sports it had been a product of the passion around the match - a viewpoint was shared by Graeme Souness.
The Sky Sports pundit added: "The things at the end are human nature. They're playing for big stakes, emotions are running high. It's to be expected on occasion."
