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Jose Mourinho hits back at ‘unfair’ criticism of Tottenham over coronavirus response


The Portuguese coach donated food at Spurs’ stadium hub on Wednesday (Picture: Getty)

Jose Mourinho has praised the work Tottenham Hotspur have done during the coronavirus crisis and feels they have received too much ‘unfair’ criticism.

The north London club have endured something of a PR nightmare during the pandemic, forced to reverse their decision to furlough staff and coming under fire for breaking lockdown rules on multiple occasions.

Mourinho was responsible for one of those breaches, training with midfielder Tanguy Ndombele at a park, but feels Spurs have been treated unfairly, with much of their good work – including turning their stadium into a supplementary maternity hospital – going unnoticed.

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Speaking to Sky Sports after donating vegetables, fruit and herbs from the club’s training ground at a food hub also located within the stadium, Mourinho said: ‘I am doing that because I feel so proud about what my club is doing and I’m doing nothing. The club is being absolutely amazing.



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‘I don’t think people have the idea of what the club is doing, the people have no idea about what is happening in this stadium. And when you do good things, you don’t need to make them public. You do it because you do it with your heart and I think that’s what my club is doing.

‘But sometimes I feel a bit sorry because the club is being absolutely amazing since we are in this fight against Covid-19 and I am so proud of the club. So what I do is nothing in a club that is doing so much.

‘But I feel happy to do it, I feel happy to go to the training ground garden and to be with the boys that are working there and they collect and they teach me how to participate a little bit. And to bring here our amazing produce for the food hub is nothing, but just make me feel really happy about it.’

Mourinho was reluctant to be filmed but feels Spurs have been given a bad rep during the pandemic, adding: ‘I accept you, I accept the camera, because of my club. Because I feel it’s really unfair towards my club.

Spurs don’t need their home-grown fruit and veg while the players aren’t training (Picture: Getty)

‘I just feel so proud about it. I think as any Tottenham supporter that knows 10% of what the club is doing and what the people that are in this stadium working are doing, I think only 10% would be enough for everyone to be proud.

‘And it would be enough for anyone not a Tottenham supporter to feel grateful for what the club is doing. That is the reason why I accept that, because I think the club deserves that.’

In addition to having a maternal day unit set up within the stadium, as well as a range of other support services, another part of the site is also acting as a drive-through centre for key workers to receive coronavirus tests.

MORE: Mauricio Pochettino tells Tottenham fans he dreams of managing his old club again

MORE: Tottenham reverse decision to furlough staff during coronavirus crisis

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