JOSÉ MOURINHO said the message he planted in the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem this week had nothing to do with football, but he may be regretting that after succumbing to another higher authority and landing a two-match touchline ban from the biggest games in Chelsea’s season. His emotive words mean he must sit in the stands for both legs of the European Cup quarter-final against Bayern Munich, but this alchemist is unlikely to accept that silence is golden.

Chelsea took the punishment handed out by Uefa, European football’s governing body, on the chin, showed a little contrition and departed the putatively neutral territory of Switzerland knowing it could have been much worse. Two months of mudslinging resulted in Chelsea and Mourinho paying a modest price — fines of £33,000 and £9,000 respectively — over the row about what happened in the Nou Camp tunnel during February’s European Cup tie against Barcelona.

However, William Gaillard, the Uefa director of communications, accused by Chelsea of inflaming the row, was also backtracking yesterday. Where Chelsea claimed they respected the integrity of Anders Frisk, the referee at the centre of the furore, Gaillard, who was not present at the hearing, said: “Many things were said by both sides and if I had my time again I would choose adjectives more carefully.”

Bruce Buck, the chairman of Chelsea plc, said that the club were “not likely” to appeal and, although they have three days from receiving the written reasons of the disciplinary panel to do so, the risk of a ban from a possible European Cup semi-final should bring the matter to an end. However, Chelsea’s lawyer could seek a “delaying effect”, pending any appeal, that would free Mourinho to sit on the bench against Bayern on Wednesday.

Buck said that Uefa had accepted that there had been a “misunderstanding” and that comments made by Mourinho had been “in good faith”, but if the five-man panel accepted he had not lied about seeing Frisk entertain Frank Rijkaard, the Barcelona coach, in his room, they were never likely to allow him to walk away after his outspoken remarks. Mourinho said that Frisk had “helped” Barcelona, that he was not surprised Didier Drogba was sent off and that the first-leg score “was an adulterated result”. Frisk retired after receiving death threats, claiming his integrity had been questioned, and Uefa accused Chelsea of creating a “poisoned ambience”.

Steve Clarke, the assistant manager, and Les Miles, the security officer, had also been charged with bringing the game into disrepute by making “false declarations”, but they escaped with reprimands. The implication was that Mourinho’s loose lips were to blame.

The Chelsea party of Buck, David Barnard, the club secretary, and Jim Sturman, QC, only decided to attend the hearing late on Wednesday and declared themselves satisfied. “We thought the hearing was full and fair,” Buck said. “We were allowed to make our points and were pleased with the proceedings. With respect to the situation generally, the view of the club is that we want to put this incident behind us.

“We are not happy with the decision, but we respect it. I think the panel take the view that there was a misunderstanding . . . but those statements were made in good faith and the club and the persons who made them continue to believe them.”

As he departed, Buck also delivered a parting shot to the media for blowing the situation “out of proportion” and offered some sympathy for Frisk. “The whole club respects his integrity and we’re sorry about the situation that developed,” he said, before reiterating the club’s desire to aid the authorities if they find out who was responsible for the death threats.

The hearing took 2½ hours, and after a further 30 minutes of deliberation, the panel delivered its ruling. Peter Limacher, the head of disciplinary services, then read out a statement, which included Article 70, paragraph 2 of Uefa’s Disciplinary Regulations, although Chelsea will receive exact confirmation of what the ban means to Mourinho today.

“A team manager who is suspended may follow the match for which he is suspended from the stands only,” the statement read. “He is not allowed in the dressing-room, tunnel or technical area before and during the match, nor is he allowed to get in contact with his team.”

That would be a bitter pill for Mourinho, whose £80,000 weekly wage will make small beer of his fine. The ultimate sanction of expulsion from the European Cup was unrealistic, but many will feel the “special one” has got off lightly. Even when he loses, he wins.

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