Jose Mourinho has continued his attack on Antonio Rudiger for his role in Heung-min Son’s red card on Sunday.
Spurs are waiting for the outcome of an appeal after South Korean Son kicked out at the Germany defender. But rather than questioning his winger’s behaviour, the Tottenham boss urged Chelsea centre-back Rudiger to stop play-acting.
Mourinho said: “I think the focus should be on Antonio Rudiger and not on Son. I’m not speaking about the racism incident, this is another thing. I am speaking about the red card.
“In the Premier League I love there is no space also for what Rudiger did. Stand up and play, man. This is the Premier League.”
Mourinho was adamant that the second-half flashpoint should not have been subject to a VAR check.
He also took aim at Rudiger’s response to being kicked, with the Blues defender falling down clutching his stomach.
“That is what I said on Sunday. In some countries, and especially Latin cultures – you go to Latin America, Portugal, Spain and Italy – that happens.
“It is a cultural thing, but not in the Premier League, and the moment we try to punish the reaction of some players, insignificant reactions, but you try to punish, and you let it go the other one, it is because then you become part of it.
“That’s why I was trying to joke and making a bit of fun about it.
“Come on, do you think Rudiger plays the next game or do you think he’s injured? I think he plays. And we speak about Son and don’t speak about him.”
Despite the defeat by their Champions League qualification rivals, Mourinho has vowed to coach Spurs out of their defensive problems rather than dip into January’s transfer market.
Sunday’s loss means Spurs have kept just one clean sheet in their last nine games in all competitions. But Mourinho said: “Sunday hasn’t changed my mind.
“I am at Tottenham Hotspur. I know the profile of the club, I know the project, I know the vision, I know the objectives and I know that in our transfer market we are going just to react to things that can happen to us.
“Like I was saying, if a player leaves we need to adapt to it. But we are never going to be the kings of the market, attacking important targets, fighting with clubs that are ready by their profile and philosophy to splash the cash and go for important targets.
“We need to do our things in an intelligent way, a creative way, and I repeat: I like the players that I have.”