Ferguson defends referee remarks

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson says managers should be free to discuss performances of officials, providing any criticism is merited.



Ferguson was recently handed a five-match touchline ban and £30,000 fine by the Football Association for criticising referee Martin Atkinson.



The Scot told ESPN: "If you speak your mind it's a problem in the game. The FA are very strong in supporting referees.



"In a way I totally agree with that, but there's got to be fair comment."



Ferguson was found guilty of improper conduct after he expressed his frustration at Atkinson's display in the 2-1 Premier League defeat by Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on 1 March.



"You want a fair referee - or a strong referee, anyway - and we didn't get that," he said immediately after the match.



Craig Moore, chairman of the FA commission that sanctioned the Manchester United manager, wrote that Ferguson had "undermined the FA's Respect campaign" and added: "Respect for referees' integrity is essential for the integrity of football."



Despite his punishment, Ferguson has refused to take his punishment lightly and has continued to complain about the performance of officials in recent fixtures.



"I think the last few games we've had terrible decisions against us and you've just got to be careful you don't have paranoia about it," said Ferguson.



The five-match touchline ban began with United's 1-0 win over Bolton at Old Trafford on 19 March.



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Capello unhappy with Mourinho remarks

England coach Fabio Capello has accused Jose Mourinho of disrespect over his claim he was the offered the England job before the Italian was appointed.



Mourinho claimed yesterday in an interview with L'Equipe that he was the FA's first choice to replace Steve McClaren in 2007.



Former Chelsea boss Mourinho claims he would have taken the England job had he not undergone a last-minute change of heart.



Capello claims he doesn't comment on jobs he has been linked with, out of respect for his fellow mangers.



"I don't speak about the relationship with the other clubs, for respect for other managers," said Capello.



"I don't like to speak about my relationship with the clubs, with other people. These are my personal secrets. I'll never tell you about what really happened in my career.



"I think it's serious. Every time a club or a different national team decides to choose a manager, they decide to speak with a lot of managers. It's normal. It's not different.



"This is a question for the chairman that chose me, not a question for me.



"I don't like to speak about this. I've said enough. Thank you."



The FA was also quick to dismiss Mourinho's claim that he was close to becoming England manager.



"Fabio was our first choice for England manager," said a spokesman for the FA.



"We have made that clear from the outset."



Although he may have been the FA's first choice there been some complaints that he has not devoted enough time to the post, notably his failure to master the English language.



However, the Italian insists his command of the language is sufficient to communicate with the players.



"How many languages do you speak?" he challenged.



"When I speak with the players they understand everything and that is what is important in this job.



"If I need to speak about the economy or other things, I can't, but when you speak about tactics, you don't use a lot of words.



"I don't have to speak about a lot of different things. Maximum 100 words."



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