Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho defended Diego Costa and called possible stamps by his Spanish striker on two Liverpool players "accidental," after his side's Capital One Cup semifinal victory at Stamford Bridge.
Branislav Ivanovic's goal sealed the 2-1 aggregate success for Chelsea, but the talk after the game focused on a host of refereeing decisions from Michael Oliver and his assistants that inspired the Blues boss to show some frustrations in his post-match news conference.
Mourinho is currently awaiting his fate on an FA disrepute charge after he suggested there was 'a campaign' being waged against his team that is denying them penalties, but he was criticising refereeing decisions once more on Tuesday night.
When asked about the incidents involving Costa and his apparent stamps on Emre Can and Martin Skrtel, Mourinho offered a stout defence.
"In such a game of emotions, I think this is football," he said. "Speak about Costa and the penalty that he had and was not given. No, no. Let Costa play his football."
Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers disagreed and called Costa's actions "poor."
Mourinho went on to claim that television pundits in the UK were going out of their way to highlight Costa's misdemeanours, on a night when former Liverpool star Jamie Redknapp was an analyst for broadcaster Sky Sports.
"I don't know what you understand by stamp," continued Mourinho. "I think maybe you are already influenced by... I'm going to use a word which put me in trouble, but I think this time I cannot be punished to say that there is a campaign on the television with a certain pundit that is saying Diego Costa 'crimes.' This guy must be nuts.
"I saw the incidents. About the penalty, I don't speak. I prefer not to speak. If I comment I will be in trouble and I don't want to be.
"What you call stamps and Sky calls crimes, I have to say absolutely accidental. He goes to the ball, he chases the ball, as the opponent is on the floor, they have a contact, he puts his foot there when he's looking to the ball.
"Great campaign. We know how much that pundit loves Chelsea and particularly loves me.
"When you are there and you are paid and you are very well paid -- much more than some managers that have to put their ass, every 90 minutes, every weekend on the bench.
"These guys, they have a very good seat, very good money, no pressure. They are always right. They never lose, they always win, but they have to be fair and they have to be honest."
The Chelsea boss declined to identify the name the TV pundit that he was annoyed by and only added: "Forget it. Let's go to Wembley. Come on. I don't know his name, because when I see him I switch off the television."
Stepping away from the controversy surrounding Costa, Mourinho was clearly infuriated that his side were denied a penalty and that Liverpool finished the game with 11 men after some contentious calls from the match officials.
"So clear it is difficult to accept [the decisions], even winning the game, I have to ask myself why," added Mourinho, on a night when he felt his side should have been awarded a penalty when Costa appeared to be fouled in the box.
"If I speak people will say Mourinho again. If I speak, the FA will punish me as they always do. It is better for you [the media] to do it. The important thing is we won the game."