Maribor vs. Chelsea: Jose Mourinho and Ante Simundza's Post-Match Reaction

Jose Mourinho was unhappy with his Chelsea side's 1-1 draw away to Maribor in the Champions League, claiming his team lacked focus on the night.

The west London side could have captured the win as they fought back from a goal down, but considering Chelsea's overall performances this season, Wednesday was a night to forget as quickly as possible.

However, the Special One was candid after the match and collectively shared the blame with his players, per BBC Sport:

"

Many times surprises happen when people are not fully focused, when they believe the game can't be a difficult one. Only when Maribor scored did the players realise the danger. If I cannot convince the players that the game is difficult and you have to play from minute one, obviously it's my responsibility.

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Nikola Solic/Associated Press

Mourinho later claimed his team deserved to win but conceded that Maribor should be congratulated for their efforts against the Premier League leaders, as reported by UEFA.com:

"

In the first half we were not good, we played very slowly. It was easy for Maribor to control the game. But in the second half we played very well – we were creative, we were fast, we had many chances. Actually we deserved to win. But it's also fair and normal to congratulate Maribor for all their efforts, for trying to get a point here. And they did that.

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Nikola Solic/Associated Press

The Portuguese boss was also sympathetic towards his players and praised them for getting back into the match. He also spoke favourably about the Maribor defence and goalkeeper and inferred that their opponent's supporters had positively influenced the final result.

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It's not easy to play a fantastic match for 90 minutes without making mistakes. And surprises happen in football. After the Maribor goal we reacted great, we pressed really hard. Maribor had luck, but they fought hard and they had a fantastic goalkeeper. I have seen a fantastic atmosphere tonight with a lot of enthusiasm from the Maribor crowd.

"

Jose Mourinho was also humorously targeted by his own fans during the game, who tried to answer previous criticisms about their own support. 

Rory Smith of The Times highlighted the Blues fans' singing:

As Mourinho admitted, Maribor had a fantastic night and excellent backing from their crowd. And their manager, Ante Simundza, spoke highly of his team after the game, per UEFA.com:

"

We have seen a fantastic match, a spectacular evening here in Maribor. Our team were exceptional and we proved again that we deserve to be in the Champions League group stage.

Considering how the match went, the result was fair. It would have been nice if we could have scored one more goal, we had chances, but Chelsea also failed to score, even from the penalty spot, so we have to be satisfied with a draw.

"

Nikola Solic/Associated Press

Despite going a goal down, this is a game that Chelsea should have prevailed in. Mourinho will be scratching his head as to why his team could not defeat the Slovenians, but they struggled to come to terms with the task at hand.

There is a possibility that minds are more focused on the trip to Anfield to play Liverpool on Saturday, but this incarnation of Chelsea has been so ruthless and deadly this season—you do not expect underperformance from them.

But Mourinho has room to breathe in this group, and both he and his superstars know this fact. The 6-0 win at Stamford Bridge was a truer example of the gap between the two sides, but Chelsea could not pull themselves out of second gear in the return match.

Cesc Fabregas also had a quiet game once again, raising some very minor questions about his form going into the winter months.

It would be incredible if Chelsea did not qualify from their current position, and it is surely only a matter of time before they jump feet first into the knockout stage.