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Inter Milan coach Jose Mourinho has fanned the flames ahead of tonight's Champions League semi-final second leg against Barcelona by calling for referee Frank de Bleeckere to act upon any gamesmanship from the Catalan side.
Inter, who lead 3-1 from the first leg, were thought to have benefited from the rub of the green in terms of decisions last week in Milan, and Mourinho is even rumoured to have dined with Portuguese official Olegario Benquerenca.
The Portuguese coach was suitably vague when quizzed on that allegation.
'I work so much that I don't have time for any business,' he said on Tuesday night. 'Where was it supposed to be? Porto? They said Oslo before - I don't have time for such business,' he added.
Four years ago, Mourinho accused then Barca coach Frank Rijkaard seeking out referee Anders Frisk at half-time to gain an advantage in a crucial Champions League match against Chelsea, an act which turned the Portuguese into something of a hate figure among the Catalan club's fans and also hastened the ending of the Swedish official's career.
And Mourinho, who was a former assistant coach at Barca to Bayern Munich's Louis Van Gaal - who he could face in this year's Champions League final after the Germans thrashed Lyon 3-0 last night - and Bobby Robson before him, hopes the referees will help Inter this time.
'The only thing I told my players was that I wanted them to support the work of the referee and if the Barcelona players want to do the same, it will be easy for the referee,' he said.
That was a sly dig at Barca's gamesmanship and echoed the sentiments of Inter owner Massimo Moratti, who had earlier claimed that Barca were pressuring the officials.
'The Spaniards want to reach the final and they will try to put a bit of pressure on the referee,' the Inter president said on Monday.
The Inter boss also claimed that Barcelona are obsessed with the idea of winning the Champions League in Real Madrid's stadium - where this year's final will be held.
'We want to follow a dream,' Mourinho said. 'But it's one thing to follow a dream and another to follow an obsession. For Barcelona it's an obsession. Our dream is more pure than obsession. A dream is about pride. Our players will be proud to reach the final in Madrid.
'For Barcelona, they reach the dream by winning (the European Cup) in London, Paris and Rome. Now it is an obsession called Madrid and Santiago Bernabéu.
'It's an obsession you can see and feel. I was here in 1997 and I lived a Spanish Cup final at the Bernabéu between Real Betis and Barça. It seemed like we won the World Cup. To have a Catalan flag in the Bernabéu is an obsession. It's anti-Madridismo.'
Barca coach Pep Guardiola, eager to taste Champions League success for a third time, says Barca need to stay true to their footballing philosophy to prevail tonight.
'It's a game of football, not a magic night, and we have to be ourselves - we will go out and try to generate as many chances as we always do,' he said on Tuesday.
'We don't know if we are capable of turning this around, but we will give everything against a great team to try and get to the final.
'Inter doesn't matter, nor their great coach, nor their marvellous players - the only thing that matters is that we are ourselves,' he added.
