Jose Mourinho has been barred from attending Fidel Castro's funeral. The hapless Portuguese former big-timer was due to travel to Havana for the state funeral as the representative of European football, but his visa was rejected by the Cuban authorities, who felt he was too much of a wanker. Instead, Joey Barton and Gary Lineker will join Diego Maradona and others as they lay a wreath on behalf of ordinary working footballers.
Although Castro was more enthusiastic about baseball than football, his legacy is regarded by many as a major advance in the fair treatment of sportsmen and women. However, not everybody in the world of football saw his role as a positive one: a statement condemning the Cuban leader's undemocratic despotism, signed by several owners and shareholders of major Premiership clubs - including Roman Abramovich, Stan Kroenke and the Glazer brothers - was read out by Paolo Di Canio outside the House of Lords. The irony was not lost on one passerby, who was heard giggling before being neutralised by anti-terrorist units.
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