Harry Diamond
Frank Lampard says he is disappointed with Jose Mourinho’s comments regarding Antonio Rudiger’s role in Son Heung-Min’s sending off during Chelsea’s victory over Tottenham last weekend.
The Tottenham manager criticised Rudiger’s reaction during an incident with South Korea international Son, the Spurs forward having kicked out at the 26-year-old and subsequently receiving a red card from referee Anthony Taylor after consultation with VAR.
Despite Son’s petulant actions, Mourinho instead decided to hit out at Rudiger, accusing him of play-acting and questioned the defender’s integrity following the clash.
“I hope the Premier League is still the Premier League and will always be the Premier League and I think the focus should be on Antonio Rudiger and not on Son,” Mourinho said on Monday.
“I’m not speaking about the racism incident, this is another thing. I am speaking about that incident, 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.”
Rudiger was subjected to alleged racist abuse during an ill-tempered clash at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and Lampard has admitted his disappointment at Mourinho questioning his player’s integrity in the midst of the ongoing investigation.
“With Toni, in this incident when he’s having to post after the game about something we know is a huge deal [racism], I think to question his integrity in that time is disappointing for sure,” the Chelsea boss said at his press conference on Tuesday.
“Pretty universally, certainly what I heard in the commentary and the post-match reflection was that the Son incident was a red card. It wasn’t brutal but it was instinctive that warrants a red card in the modern day.
“It was pretty clear that was the case. I wouldn’t question Toni’s integrity on that. So I do defend Toni firmly on it.”
Spurs’ investigations into the racism towards Rudiger have proved ‘inconclusive’, though one Chelsea fan has been arrested for allegedly abusing Heung Min Son.
Read – Chelsea ‘offered’ £44m Real Madrid playmaker to make room for Spurs’ Eriksen
See also – Premier League Weekly Awards: Willian-spired, Grealish golazo, Gazzaniga’s head falls off