LIVERPOOL - Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho claimed "the best team lost" after Liverpool ditched his side out of the Champions League today.
Mourinho said Liverpool fans, who roared from start to finish, were magnificent but may have influenced the linesman, who signalled the fourth minute goal from Luis Garcia when
his players felt the ball had not crossed the line.
"I felt (the support) was magnificent. It didn't interfere with my team but maybe it interfered with other people and maybe it interfered with the result. He made a mistake," said Mourinho, referring to Slovakian linesman Roman Slysko.
"Bring in the linesman and ask him why he gave a goal. To give a goal it has to be 100 per cent in and you have to be 100 per cent sure it was a goal.
"The best team lost that's for sure and didn't deserve to lose but football is sometimes cruel," said Mourinho, whose side wrapped up the English premier league title last weekend.
Chelsea had beaten Liverpool three times this season, including the League Cup final last February.
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez said he did not see the goal but suggested there should have been a penalty just before and also a red card for Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech, who brought down Czech compatriot Milan Baros in the build up to the goal.
The Spaniard said it was hard to describe in another language how good it felt to win.
He suggested the difficulties of moving to another culture meant Liverpool had not succeeded in the domestic league where they are 33 points behind Chelsea.
"In the Champions League we have played very well for most of it," he said.
Liverpool were considered underdogs against Bayer Leverkusen, Juventus and Chelsea but overcame them all.
He will be happy if they stay that way for the final against PSV Eindhoven or AC Milan on May 25 in Istanbul.
Milan lead by two goals going into tomorrow's (NZ time) second leg in Eindhoven.
- REUTERS
