Italians haven’t quite cottoned on yet to Jose Mourinho’s sense of humour.

Inter Milan have put out a statement pointing out that their new coach was joking when he told a journalist he earned 14 million euros a year.

The excesses of soccer have reached the point where any amount of money sounds plausible to some.

Mourinho was arguing with a reporter ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League match at home to Werder Bremen. The journalist was criticising Mourinho’s tactics so the Portuguese asked him to pick his team.

“I’ll do it if you give me some of your 9 million-a-year salary,” the reporter quipped.

Mourinho barked back: “It is not 9, it’s 11 and with sponsors’ money it goes up to 14.”

Inter’s statement gave no figures but said Mourinho earns a lot less than 14 million.

It got me thinking, what other soccer jokes could be misconstrued as truth in the modern game?

Chelsea’s Italian keeper Carlo Cudicini eyed up to play from England? Oh wait, that one was true.

Maybe we could start with, “You know football’s gone mad when…” and take it from there… Give it your best shot in the comments.

PHOTO: Jose Mourinho peers over the fence of his home in Setubal, Portugal in 2007, REUTERS/stringer