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Jose Mourinho wrote off Real Madrid’s Champions League chances
and accused Barcelona of being favoured by the footballing authorities after
his 10-man side lost their semi-final first leg 2-0 on Wednesday.

Real had midfielder Pepe sent off after 62 minutes and Mourinho
was sent to the stands for his protests soon after, and Lionel Messi took full
advantage to score both goals in a stunned Bernabeu.

“Congratulations to a fantastic football team,” the Real coach
said in a rambling rant at the post-match news conference.

“But congratulations for all they have as well, it must be
difficult to get all this power. Where does this power come from? I don’t know
if it’s because they give UNICEF publicity (on their shirts)?”

Mourinho went on to list Barca’s semifinal victory over Chelsea
in 2009, the Inter Milan semifinal from last season and now “the scandal of the
Bernabeu”, as he suggested unfair red cards had been issued to rivals playing
the Catalan side. “This thing happens in each semifinal,” he said.

“I am here just to ask this question and I hope to get the
answer one day.

“I respect him (Barca coach, Pep Guardiola) a great deal as a
coach and a person…but I would like to see him win a Champions League without
scandals.

“Pep is a fantastic football coach and he has won one Champions
League. I would be ashamed to have won it after the scandal of Stamford Bridge
(when he said Chelsea should have had four penalties).

“I won two Champions Leagues with Porto and Inter and won both
on the pitch. We won with work, effort, sweat and fight.”

Mission impossible

The second of those European crowns came after a famous
rearguard action with 10 men at the Nou Camp last season, losing 1-0 after
having won the first leg 3-1.

However, Mourinho quickly ruled out any chance of another heroic
performance in next Tuesday’s second leg at Barca’s stadium.

“Obviously in the return leg it’s a very difficult mission,” he
added. “It’s not very difficult, it’s impossible.

“They will get to the final and that’s that”

Real have had a player sent off in each of the four ‘Clasicos’
they have played in La Liga, the King’s Cup final and the Champions League this
season, and now will be without the suspended Sergio Ramos and Pepe next week.

Mourinho, who said he was not supposed to be speaking to the
media after having been sent off, will have to watch from the stands.

When asked what he had said to receive the punishment from the
German referee, Wolfgang Stark, he replied: “I didn’t say anything, I just
applauded his decision with two thumbs.

“If I told UEFA and him what I thought and feel, I would end my career now.”
On television replays of the incident he could be seen to say “Well done, well
done” to the fourth official after Pepe was sent off for a high-footed
challenge on Barca fullback Dani Alves.