Jose Mourinho slated by MP for taking Russian ‘blood money’ as he agrees £1.7m World Cup job with Kremlin-backed RT channel
Manchester United boss will be the main pundit for TV station - despite outrage over the poisoning of ex-spy Sergei Skripal
AN MP has slammed Jose Mourinho for taking Russian "blood money" - by agreeing to be a £1.7million World Cup pundit for Kremlin-backed TV channel RT.
The Manchester United boss has refused to answer questions about his decision - which was announced a day after the Salisbury poisoning of former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia.
As the British Government demand answers from Russian president Vladimir Putin over the incident, Rhondda MP Chris Bryant fiercely criticised Mourinho.
Bryant said: "To my mind, this is blood money, paid directly from the Russian state coffers."
Former top-flight stars Stan Collymore and Peter Schmeichel also work for RT, as do politicians George Galloway and Alex Salmond.
Bryant's statement came as Mourinho was busy with United's Champions League last-16 second leg against Sevilla at Old Trafford last night.
And, according to the , his job with RT amounts to around £400,000 a day.
Bryan'ts fellow Welsh Labour MP Stephen Doughty has also slated big names for accepting work for Russian state-sponsored broadcasters.
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Doughty said: "It's not just MPs. Leading sports figures and commentators need to reflect carefully on whether they want to be associated with Putin's propaganda machine.
"RT has repeatedly conned viewers with a veneer of respectability, while taking its orders from the Kremlin.
"Serious questions are already being asked about participation in the Russian-hosted World Cup.
"I would urge leading football figures to rethink - not least after this week's revelations - whether their punditry on Putin's mouthpiece is appropriate."
Prime Minister Theresa May is yet to receive answers from Russia over the nerve gas poisoning and is considering possible responses, which believe might include some sort of boycott at this year's World Cup.
Such an idea would probably mean stopping FA president Prince William from attending the games.
