Jose Mourinho was “surprised” Mike Riley chose to apologise to West Bromwich Albion for awarding a stoppage-time penalty at Stamford Bridge this month and suggested the head of Professional Game Match Officials Ltd had set a dangerous precedent.

Riley telephoned the West Brom manager, Steve Clarke, in the wake of Andre Marriner’s decision to penalise Steven Reid for what he believed had been a foul on Ramires in the game at Stamford Bridge on November 9th.

That apology was revealed, and accepted, by Clarke, though Riley has also since indicated publicly the official “should have played on” following the 94th-minute coming together inside the penalty area. As it was, Eden Hazard converted the penalty and secured Chelsea’s 2-2 draw.

“I’m surprised but maybe the people who are surprised are old-fashioned and maybe these are new times,” said Mourinho before today’s trip to West Ham.

“Maybe, from now on, Mr Riley is going to do the same with every other club and manager. If that’s the situation, let’s welcome new times.

“I’m very curious to know if it was just an isolated phone call. I’m interested to know if that was the start and, from now on, it’ll be the same for everybody. I’m very curious to know, and to know the consequences of it.

“At least the referees now know one thing: if [there is]a controversial decision, and I’m not saying a “mistake”, that hypothetically – and, I repeat, hypothetically – favours Chelsea, they know they are going to be publicly exposed by their boss.

"I'm curious to know if Steve Bruce got a phone call. I'm interested to know if Chris Hughton got a phone call. I'm interested to know if [Michael]Laudrup got a phone call. Nobody called me to apologise about the fact that it was not a free-kick against West Bromwich just before their second goal, or the penalty at Everton that would have been 1-1 for us. I don't know if Paul Lambert got a phone call."–
Guardian Service