Manchester United manager José Mourinho clashed with a reporter from the club’s in-house channel MUTV yesterday, refusing to update them on team injuries.
In an interview with the channel before a match against Arsenal tonight, Mourinho also bristled at the reporter for asking about United’s 2-2 draw with Southampton at the weekend.
When MUTV first asked Mourinho about the squad’s injury status, he said: “We are going to be in difficulties again to build the team.
“We are again going to have to make adaptations and compensations to try to give some balance to the team. But then I believe we are again going to have the spirit to fight and to try to win the match.”
But he appeared to snap at the MUTV reporter when he asked the manager if he would give them an update on injuries.
He said: “I don’t want to update you. I would like Arsenal TV to make the same questions but they don’t, they hide everything from the inside, so why should I answer to you?”
The short outburst followed two one-word answers of “no” to two previous questions about squad injuries, according to The Times.
When asked about the Southampton draw last weekend, he said: “Why do you speak about the weekend and not about the next one?”
This is not the only time Mourinho has clashed with members of the press.
Earlier this year, the United boss stormed out of a press conference demanding respect following his side’s 3-0 loss to Tottenham at home.
There have been a number of examples in recent years of clubs clashing with newspapers and imposing bans or withholding information from reporters as a result of coverage they are unhappy with.
Last year Liverpool FC banned Sun journalists from attending matches and press conferences.
Picture: Reuters/Eddie Keogh
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