Jose Mourinho: I will ‘KILL’ Chelsea
Now think about that headline for a second - doesn’t it make you curious? Doesn’t it jump out at you as a paradox - regardless of the terms (and they were not as bad or acrimonious as the media would like you to believe) Mourinho left Chelsea on, for him to say something like this to the fans and players he loves? So crude and so violent - it’s almost as if you’re dreaming.
Except you’re not, and the headline is a play on what Mourinho said - less vicious but equally interesting and superbly calculated.
Consider BBC’s initial coverage: the headline reads ‘Mourinho eager to kill Chelsea’ which makes him sound like a bloodthirsty maniac and when juxtaposed against the picture (the backdrop has dark-skinned people, giving a tribal, feral feel to the whole situation) and the bbc forum thread titled ‘what do you think of Mourinho now’ is poking you in the eye, urging you to respond emotionally. This is not journalism folks, this is emotional manipulation.
Here’s what Jose Mourinho actually said:
“If I play them in the Champions League, I want to go there and kill them - that’s my message.
I still feel Chelsea is a part of me, I’ll have Chelsea in my heart forever. I left and for five months you couldn’t get a bad word from me in relation to the club and you cannot do it in the future too.
I think it was last week that I spoke with people from the club. I was speaking with Mr Abramovich and chief executive Peter Kenyon because we keep in touch. I was telling them I wish them always good, I wish them always to succeed, I wish them always to win.”
He talks about his love for Chelsea, his good relations with the management and his wish that the team wins. And what do the Beeb focus on? His single comment on how he would be play it if, after going back to football management, his team came up against Chelsea.
I can imagine (although in retrospect that’s not such a good idea) the reporter wetting himself when he heard the words ‘kill them’ come out of Mourinho’s mouth - that is, if Mourinho actually said them.
What? Is it possible Mourinho never said it?
Yup - here’s some evidence, if you needed any, of how the media creates false interviews and quotes - it’s a link to arseblog.com’s transcript of Eduardo’s interview with Croatian TV, where they find out that the press has fabricated many things about the whole Eduardo situation.
Now…please head over here to the 606 and tell the BBC to stop misleading its readers - not just with the headline but with the way they’ve spun the story. It’s bad enough that we have greedy agents, greedy owners and greedy administrators using football to their advantage, but surely we can do something about it where the press is concerned?
And for the reader who wonders why I admire Jose Mourinho the master baiter, this is why - he knows how to set a fire under the press’s fat arse, and he does it so naturally (here’s a bunch of Mourinho quotes) that you cannot help but applaud (unless of course, he overdoes it with his moaning and bitching, and then he just has to be fired 
).
- All of Jose Mourinho’s quotes
- Jose Mourinho page (updated)
- Jose Mourinho is a good loser
- Goodbye Jose, Goodnight Chelsea
- Master Baiter Mourinho prepares for war with Manchester United
Discussion - 8 Responses
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This type of reporting worries me. It certainly shouldn’t happen on the BBC.
Mourinho simply meant that if he came up against Chelsea at some stage he wouldn’t let sentiment get in the way and he would want to beat them.
Using headlines like that is geared towards causing trouble and it alerts the type of idiots we were talking about the other day to make death threats etc.
I agree, the BBC need to be told that this is out of order.
But…but…but Ahmed. Look at your title!
Oh. I get it. That’s irony.
Yeah… but it’s working isn’t it?
Quote distortion by the media is as old the hills. In a country where tabloid printed press reigns supreme, is it really so surprising to find even respectable news sources (like the BBC) have a dip into the pond once in a while? In this case actually, can you even talk about ‘distortion’ really? After all, Mourinho did use the word ‘kill’, and turning it into a “Mourinho eager to ‘kill’ Chelsea” title makes for a very attractive headline over at the BBC.
Should we condemn the press for using these tactics? Yes. Should we be surprised at their use? Not really.
Biggest case of storm in a teacup I’ve seen for a long time, and I should’ve known that to find some intelligent comment on it I need only come here. So cheers for that Ahmed et al.
Anyway, this is no big deal in my view. Mourinho, as Graham pointed out, merely meant that he is a professional - when he gets a job. Whether his comment was deliberately formulated to fuel a fire or just an over-exaggerated expression of his strong feelings on the matter, is a different question.
As for the reporting of it, it’s not particulary worrying to me. It’s just the usual everyday sensationalisation. Some people see through it, some don’t. Either way, Mourinho himself is brilliant at it, so he will not be surprised.
The headline is the marketing tool to draw the reader in. The article itself is much clearer on what he actually said.
The headline catches the attention but I don’t think anyone conjures up an image of Mourinho enetering Stamford Bridge dressed in combat’s carrying a Kalashnikov…..although it would surely be the weapon of choice if the circumstances ever arose!
Had a good read. Nice article and all but what has the Elephant Man gotta do with this article? Is it because of his eccentric looking eyebrows, his weird choice of hair colouring or his deep voice? Or izit bcoz of his eyes and a chipped front tooth?
to tell u the truth, i read little of this piece than wondering what the picture has to do with Jose. Maybe i was distracted a lil, so my apologies to the author for not reading the whole thing.
i’ll read it again now, fully. Lol
If a Red Top carries the headline then the average reader will probably reserve judgement until after they have checked the content of the article.
When the BBC use such a headline it is assumed (by the trusting) that the headline is a solid indicator towards the heart of the matter.
Unfortunately the BBC has its fair share of careerists in its ranks. And they pay less than Rupert Murdoch et al.
What’s the old saying? - “If you can’t beat them, join them”
Then there are the management types who, in the interests of preserving their jobs/raising their profile, put out the word to “spice things up”.
In an effort to improve its fashion cred over recent years, The BBC has been doing a good job in destroying its true credibility.
I put more creedence on Mr Murdochs better publications these days!