José Mourinho has spilled the beans on the reconciliatory spooning he shared with star striker Diego Costa at half time of Chelsea’s 4-0 Champions League win at Maccabi Tel Aviv.

The Portuguese, embattled, revealed that he’d been unhappy with Costa’s movement, up until the break when he moved up behind his manager and held him tightly in his burly, bear-like arms.

Speaking exclusively to Football Burp, Mourinho described the mollifying effects of delivering his half-time team talk from within the confines of Costa’s firm, masculine grasp.

He said: “I felt so safe, in a way I just haven’t in my job of late.

“I said to Costa, ‘I want to see more movement from you’ – that’s when he came up behind me and whispered, ‘We’ve got all the movement we need right here.’

“At first I was angry and a little confused, but after maybe 5 minutes of spooning the rest of the squad rose to their feet in a spontaneous standing ovation.

“Even Eva Carneiro joined out of nowhere, smiling forgivingly. It was boss.”