Jose Mourinho has told Chelsea fans to show Steven Gerrard some respect in Tuesday’s League Cup semi-final first leg clash with Liverpool at Anfield.
Gerrard has long been a target for Blues supporters, having been the enduring symbol of Liverpool from the moment the rivalry between the two clubs began to intensify during Mourinho’s first spell at Stamford Bridge.
But the relentless abuse faced by the former England international has ramped up since last season’s Premier League title run-in, when he slipped and gifted the ball to Demba Ba for the opening goal of a game that saw Chelsea deal Liverpool’s hopes of a first league title since 1990 a devastating blow.
Chelsea fans have created a mocking chant about the incident, butMourinho insists he doesn’t want to hear it when the two sides face off in the first of a two-legged clash for a place at Wembley on Tuesday.
“He’s a historic player for Liverpool, a historic player for the Premier League,” the Blues boss told reporters. “He’s an opponent I always admired and respected. There is a song that my fans have that I don’t like at all.”
“A couple of times it’s good fun but to go and go and go, especially when a player like him deserves respect, we don’t need that.”
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