Video: Ex-Chelsea coach Mourinho under fire for gay slur
Football coach José Mourinho has prompted outrage after being filmed using a Spanish gay slur ahead of a game at a Russian stadium.
Footage of Mourinho referring to ‘maricones’ the plural of ‘maricón’, a word equivalent to ‘faggot’ in English emerged this week.
While inspecting a snow-covered pitch on Monday, he is filmed saying: “Y esos maricones… No dicen con que balon se juega?”
This translates roughly to: “And those faggots… do not say that you play ball?”
Mourinho was a prominent figure in British football as the coach of Chelsea FC.
Known colloquially as “The Special One” for his coaching skills, he moved to Real Madrid in 2010.
Lindsay England, the Founding Director of LGBT campaign and activist group Just A Ball Game? has condemned the slur, calling it ‘’un-necessary and inappropriate language.”
“As fans of the game both LGBT and straight the world over are this week celebrating the lives of LGBT players, coaches, managers, etc under the banner of Football v Homophobia, comments such as this from high profile and well respected people within the game highlight how much work and education there is still needed to be done.”
“There have been a number of coaches, managers and former managers in the past several years who have made these type of comments and it’s hoped that European governing body UEFA will hold Mr Mourinho accountable and implement the correct fines and disciplinary action.”
Louise Englefield, co-president of The European Gay and Lesbian Sports Federation is quoted in the Daily Mail saying: “Homophobia is unacceptable from anyone in football, much less from one of the game’s most senior figures. We are deeply disappointed that Mr. Mourinho is casually using homophobic terms of abuse in his workplace.
“It is especially sad that these comments have been made during the International Football v Homophobia campaign week. As long-standing partners of the FARE network, we call on UEFA to take action and impose appropriate sanctions.”
UEFA had not responded to EGLSF’s complaint this morning.
