Mourinho row: Premier League has no rule over press conference order

14 September 2015 13:46

There is no rule in place that demands that the away manager should be the first to speak to the media after a Premier League fixture.

Jose Mourinho, whose Chelsea team lost 3-1 at Everton on Saturday, expressed his unhappiness with opposite number Roberto Martinez when the Spaniard was the first to do so despite Mourinho's eagerness, following defeat, to leave Goodison Park and return to London as soon as possible.

"Roberto, Roberto, next time tell me to go before you because we have to travel," Mourinho said to Martinez while the Everton manager was undertaking his media commitments.

Martinez replied: "I don't control that, Jose. I don't control that."

It is alleged that Mourinho swore in response.

The Premier League rulebook, however, shows that the only existing requirements are that a post-match press conference must take place, and that each club must ensure that their manager attends, not the order in which they do so.

Beyond its official rules, under the guidance section, the handbook reads that "The Match Manager will determine and manage the order in which interviews... will take place and communicate this in the week leading up to the League Match", but this relates to broadcast commitments, and not Saturday's issue between Mourinho and Martinez, which surrounded the order in which they spoke to the written press.

Mourinho was accompanied by Chelsea's head of communications and public affairs Steve Atkins into the press conference.

As Mourinho sat down to speak to press, Atkins first said a few words to reporters.

He said: ''Okay, if we could get going quickly that would be great. It is only going to be about five minutes long.

''We had to wait for the home manager to go first and all the players are on the bus, so we are going to be quick.''

Chelsea were beaten 3-1 by Everton, a result that left the Barclays Premier League champions with just four points from their first five games of the new season.

Source: PA