Jose Mourinho's seven-minute post-match rant in full after Chelsea lose to Southampton

Jose Mourinho launched into a seven-minute post-match rant after seeing his Chelsea side lose 3-1 at home to Southampton.

The Blues manager was asked just one question but took the opportunity to touch on many subjects.

He said that referees are "afraid" to give decisions to Chelsea and told the FA they can punish him for talking about officials. He went on to say that his players are "mentally" and "psychologically" down and admitted retaining their title now appears "very difficult".

However, he insisted that he won't quit and he still considers himself "the best".

Read the full transcript below...

"I think you know me, and I think I don't run away from responsibilities.

"I think, first of all, I want to say that because we are in such a bad moment, I think you shouldn't be afraid to be also honest.

"Because when we were at the top, I understand that it is quite a big pleasure, and it is gone.

"But when you are so down, I think it's time to be a little bit honest and to say clearly the referees are afraid to give decisions for Chelsea.

"The result was 1-1 when it was a huge penalty, and, once more, we didn't get one.

"And the penalty was a crucial moment in the game with the result 1-1.

"And, I repeat, if the FA wants to punish me, they can punish me. They don't punish other managers, they punish me, but it's not a problem for me.

"I want to repeat because I think my players deserve it, Chelsea fans deserve it, I am a Chelsea fan too, and I want to say it again: referees are afraid to giving decisions to Chelsea.

"Why? Because when they give, there is always a question mark from you [the media].

"There is always a question, there is always a critic, so we are always punished.

"We are punished because Diego Costa is suspended with images. In other matches we see the same thing and that doesn't happen.

"Clear penalties are not given and with us it's one and one and one and one, and even in the Champions League, in a match we lost 2-1 [to Porto], which is a game with not three officials, but five, we are not given a penalty in the last minute.

"And this penalty in this game today is more than crucial, and do you know why? Because my team, in this moment, the first negative thing that happens, the team collapses.

"The team, mentally, psychologically, is unbelievably down. It looks like good players are bad players.

"In the first-half, we didn't show our quality, but we were in control, we were more than in control, and one mistake, a lack of concentration, one goal and you have a tough time.

"In normal circumstances, you come to the second-half and you do your game. I told the players 'no panic, we are not losing 4-0, it's 1-1, no panic'.

"The team comes out with a good spirit, we have a penalty and the penalty is a giant penalty, and he [the referee] was afraid to give, like everybody else is afraid to give, so no penalty.

"And, after that, the team lost even more confidence and you know that their second goal is an individual mistake and their third goal was another individual mistake.

"And the team, mentally, they tried but they collapsed.

"I can also know, what you are thinking and what you are saying in the studio about what is going to happen and what is not going to happen.

"I want to make it clear. One, I don't run away.

"Two, if the club wants to sack me, they have to sack me because I'm not running away from my responsibility and my team. To be champions will obviously be very, very difficult because the distance is considerable, but I am more than convinced that we will finish in the top four. And, when the season is so bad, if you finish top four, it is ok.

"Three, even more important than the first and the second, I think this is a crucial moment in the history of this club. Do you know why? Because if the club sacks me, they sack the best manager that this club has, and secondly, the message is again: bad results and the manager is guilty.

"And this is the message that not just these players but the other ones before [sic] they got during a decade.

"I think this is a moment for everybody to assume responsibilities. I assume my responsibilities, I think the players should assume their responsibilities, there are other people in the club who should also assume their responsibilities, and to stick together. This is what I want.

"The players still have to play until the end of the season with the gold champion thing in their shirt, and I want to work, as always.

"I consider myself, you know, that I have a big self esteem and a big ego, I consider myself the best.

"Leaving the worst period of my career, the worst results of my career, doing that as a professional hurts me a lot.

"Doing that at Chelsea hurts me twice, because it hurts me as a professional and it hurts me because I like this club very, very much and that's why I came back.

"So I want to carry on, no doubt, no doubt.

"And I assume my responsibilities, but I think it's time for everybody to assume their responsibilities, because when you go down to so many individual mistakes and fear to play, they have their responsibilities.

"They are players who are performing really, really bad, individually.

"I cannot come here and say, you and you and you and you - it's not my job - but I think it's clear that we are being punished by too many individual mistakes.

"And, as I was saying, sadness brings sadness, bad results attract bad results. The first mistake is just the first because after comes another one.

"This team needs to finish the first-half winning two or three nil, with the fears disappearing, coming into the second-half with a free brain, with a free spirit.

"This is what this team needs and unfortunately for them, this is not happening.

"And again, I repeat, so I want to make it clear again, because I don't want to be offensive, the referees are afraid to give us decisions.

"When you are top, you want to see people come down. When people are down, give us a break, and be honest and be loyal with us because the team deserves that and the penalty is clear, and 2-1 is a completely different story."