SEPARATED from his players by a touchline ban at FC Porto, José Mourinho was inconsolable. “It made me cry and it’s a feeling I never want to experience again,” he said. To judge from Uefa’s statement of almost unprecedented force yesterday, more tears can be expected from the Portuguese.

A withering attack from European football’s governing body on Chelsea and their coaching staff looks certain to precede a suspension that would come into effect for the European Cup quarter-final ties against Bayern Munich next month and possibly beyond. Mourinho, the manager, and Steve Clarke, his assistant, have been cited and could be banned from contact with the players from the moment the team bus arrives at the stadiums until the final whistle.

Uefa could even throw Chelsea out of the competition, but, while that is highly unlikely, some sort of punishment beyond a fine seems inevitable. Chelsea would only say in response that they were “reviewing their position”.

William Gaillard, the Uefa director of communications, spent yesterday issuing a detailed and highly damaging set of charges against Mourinho and his club, which included “basically using lies as a pre-match tactic”. He accused Chelsea of “trying to qualify for the next round by putting pressure on referees and officials”.

The damning accusations follow the stormy European Cup games against Barcelona, notably the first leg in the Nou Camp. Chelsea claimed that Frank Rijkaard, the Barcelona manager, had entered the dressing-room of Anders Frisk, the Swedish referee, during the interval. They sent a complaint to Uefa, including statements from Mourinho, Clarke and Les Miles, the club’s security officer. Their claims are “false, wrong and unfounded”, according to Uefa, which accused Chelsea of failing even to get their story straight.

“There is a clear contradiction,” Gaillard said. “They say Clarke and Miles saw the meeting (between Frisk and Rijkaard), but we know by looking at the (design of the stadium) that, from where they were, they could not have seen anything. Then Mr Mourinho says in a signed article that he was the one who saw it, which again is false.

“What we do know from the reports from the referee and the venue director is that Mr Mourinho came out of the dressing-room and shouted in a quite aggressive way at Anders Frisk, ‘Can I also come into your dressing-room?’ ” Uefa will even use plans of the stadium at the hearing on March 31 to prove that Chelsea have concocted their story.

Who saw what in a tunnel may seem a petty issue, but the Uefa hierarchy was furious when the Chelsea manager kept casting doubt over the integrity of its staff. Although Gaillard denied that death threats aimed at Frisk had any influence on the charges, the referee’s subsequent retirement ensured that Uefa was going to take Mourinho’s behaviour even more seriously. “Our assessment is that the situation that was generated is quite grave for the future of football,” Gaillard said.

After discussions with senior Uefa officials last week, Chelsea were prepared for disciplinary action, but the force with which they were delivered came as a shock at Stamford Bridge. After Gaillard’s remarks, they can expect no leniency.

It is not the only disciplinary action that Chelsea are facing, with a charge expected from the FA Premier League today after the board meets to discuss the Ashley Cole “tapping-up” inquiry. Then, on Thursday, Uefa is expected to fine Chelsea for Mourinho’s failure to turn up for the press conference in the Nou Camp and for the team’s late arrival for the second half.

Uefa is also awaiting all the reports from the brawling at the end of the second leg between Chelsea and Barcelona, when one of Mourinho’s backroom staff goaded Rijkaard and stewards clashed with players. As yet there have been no charges.

If Mourinho is banned from the touchline, he has blown his chance of covertly getting around the restrictions. Uefa will be wise to his recent authorised biography in which he boasted of using a “small, sophisticated telecommunications device” to relay tactical messages and order substitutions.

Mourinho, who is due in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv next weekend to work with Israeli and Palestinian football teams and “promote peace through sport”, is likely to hand his duties to Baltemar Brito, one of his assistants, if Clarke is also banished.

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