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José Mourinho has asked Gareth Southgate to call coaches who are pressuring him to remove their stars from England’s service.
Mourinho’s comments come after Manchester City forward Raheem Sterling retired from the Three Lions squad earlier this week, only for Pep Guardiola to confirm that he returned to first-team training in time for the clash with the Spurs on Saturday night.
Sterling also retired from the England team in October with a hamstring injury, but was included in City’s starting XI for his first game after the international break, scoring the winner in a 1-0 win over the Arsenal.
And Mourinho is less than impressed by what he sees as below-the-belt activity when it comes to coaches and the national team.
(Image: PA)
“Gareth Southgate, I read, allegedly said that some club directors pressure players not to play for the national team,” Mourinho said.
“And that’s why sometimes he feels the need to call the club managers to calm his emotions and control a difficult situation for him.
“I would like you to say who. I would like you to say which are the coaches that pressure players not to play.
Are Premier League managers engaging in clandestine deals to get their stars off duty in England? Give us your opinion here.
(Image: Action Images via Reuters)
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“And I would like you to say which coaches you call and talk to on the phone with. You have the right, the power to call the players you want.
“He wants to win games, especially after a loss, the next game, even being a dead rubber, is an important game. I totally sympathize with that.
“But of course we all know that Sterling will play for City against us.
“When Eric Dier left the national team injured last month, he did not play two games for Tottenham.
“He did not play the Premier League match and the Europa League match. It took him a couple of weeks to recover. And Raheem is going to play.
“These are the little details that I think Gareth should explain to all of us.”
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