Month: December 2015

John Terry used his programme notes for Chelsea’s home game against Sunderland at the weekend to deny that player power was behind Jose Mourinho’s exit from Stamford Bridge last week.

Mourinho was removed from the manager’s position at Chelsea last Thursday just 7 months after winning the Premier League title with the club for the third time. This season has been a disaster for the self-proclaimed ‘Special One’, though, with the Blues in 16th position in the league when the Portuguese manager was dismissed.

Chelsea only lost 1of Mourinho’s first 99 home games in charge of the club, yet they lost 4 of their opening 7 home matches in this campaign and have so far lost 9 of the 17 games they’ve played.

The dreadful run of results that the defending Premier League champions have endured led to Mourinho’s dismissal, with Guus Hiddink coming in to replace him on an interim basis until the end of the year. Yet rumours have consistently circulated in the national media that it was the players who conspired to oust Mourinho after the controversial manager alienated several members of his playing squad.

Terry, the Chelsea captain, refuted this notion in his programme notes however, saying, “We are aware there have been rumours about player power, but I want to make it clear that is not the case. We leave all the decisions to Mr. Abramovich and the board and know our job, as players, is to focus on getting results on the pitch”.

The 33 year old has had run-ins with his 52 year old former manager himself this season, with Mourinho opting not to start Terry when fit and available for the first time since he arrived at the club in 2004 leading many to question whether there had been a falling out between the two.

Chelsea’s Chairman, Bruce Buck, wrote notes in the programme in the absence of a manager being able to do so and told the club’s fans that the decision to get rid of Mourinho had not been an easy one. He wrote, “The start we have made to the season has come as a major disappointment to the owner, the board and Chelsea fans everywhere and I think it is fair to say nobody expected us to be in the position we are in the Premier League just before Christmas. The difficult decision was made for Jose Mourinho to leave the club. I can assure you it was not a decision we took lightly. Nor was it a spur of the moment decision. Mr. Abramovich and the board agonised over it for some time. We are one of the biggest clubs in the world and we are all determined, as a collective unit, to get back to where we should be”.

Chelsea went on to win the match 3-1 thanks to goals from Ivanovic, Pedro and Oscar, with Hiddink watching the game from the stands. There was a strange atmosphere in the stands as supporters wanted to show their appreciation for their former manager whilst also letting certain players know how they felt about them.

Cesc Fabregas and Diego Costa, two players the Chelsea fans believe were largely responsible for Mourinho’s departure, were booed before the game. Meanwhile some fans displayed banners saying things such as ‘You Let Jose Down. You Let Us Down’ and ‘The Three Rats – Hazard, Cesc and Costa’.

Chelsea Football Club have today confirmed the appointment of the former Netherlands manager Guus Hiddink as their replacement for Jose Mourinho who was sacked on Thursday.

The self-proclaimed ‘Special One’ was sacked just 7 months after winning the Premier League at Chelsea for the third time during his second spell at the club. He had overseen a terrible start to the Blues’ defence of their crown, however, with the defending Premier League champions losing 9 of their opening 16 games of the campaign and currently sitting just a point above the relegation zone.

69 year old Hiddink will come in as an interim manager for the Blues until the end of the season, much as he did in the 2008-2009 season when Chelsea sacked Luis Felipe Scolari.

The Dutchman will watch Chelsea’s game against Sunderland from the stands this weekend as coaches Steve Holland and Eddie Newton take charge of the team. Holland said of the decision to give Hiddink the job, “It’s a fantastic appointment. I’m very happy about it. This club needs an experienced manager at the helm and Guus Hiddink is clearly that”.

Hiddink guided PSV Eindhoven to six Dutch league titles and the European Cup during two spells at the club and he also won the FA Cup with Chelsea during his short spell at Stamford Bridge in 2009. A statement on Chelsea’s club website read, “The owner and the board welcome back a coach with a wealth of top-level experience and success, including his previous spell with the club in 2009 when we lifted the FA Cup. Mr Abramovich and the board believe that Guus has what it takes to get the best out of our talented squad”.

Hiddink himself said that he was delighted to return to West London and believed that he has what it takes to get the club firing on all cylinders once again. He said, “I am excited to return. Chelsea is one of the biggest clubs in the world but is not where it should be at the moment. However, I am sure we can all turn this season around”.

One thing that could be a cause for concern for Chelsea fans is the lack of success that Hiddink has endured since leaving Stamford Bridge at the end of his last interim spell as manager. He has since taken charge of Turkey, the Russian team Anzhi Makhachkala and his home nation of the Netherlands.

None of those campaigns were particularly brilliant for Hiddink, with his spell at Netherlands manager seeing him win just four of his ten matches as boss before being sacked in June 2015. Many involved in Dutch football felt that the 69 year old lacked enough of a connection with the modern game to be able to explain his theories to a new set of Dutch players. Whether he can communicate his ideas to the current Chelsea side remains to be seen.

The former Netherlands manager Guus Hiddink is believed to be holding talks with Chelsea Football Club about becoming their interim manager, replacing the sacked Jose Mourinho on an interim basis.

Hiddink already has experience of managing Chelsea, with the 69 year old Dutchman having replaced Luis Felipe Scolari when the Brazilian was sacked by the club during the 2008-2009 season. He arrived on a temporary basis until the end of the campaign, winning the FA Cup with the Blues.

Chelsea confirmed the departure of Jose Mourinho yesterday, with the self-proclaimed ‘Special One’ paying the price for the club’s appalling defence of their Premier League crown. The club have lost nine of their opening sixteen league games, winning just two of their last ten games and now sitting a mere point above the relegation zone in 16th place in the table.

With the Portuguese boss having been relieved of his duties a mere seven months after he left Chelsea to the title, the Blues are keen to bring in an experienced coach to help them get things back on track. Having won the Dutch league title six times and two European Cups with PSV Eindhoven as well as coaching South Korea, Russia and Australia, there is no question that Hiddink fits that profile.

What may cause Chelsea fans some concern is the fact that the Dutchman stood down as Netherlands manager back in June, with the country’s qualifying campaign for Euro 2016 in complete disarray. Though he wasn’t in charge at the end of the campaign the Netherlands finished fourth in a weak group, losing out to the Czech Republic, Iceland and Turkey.

John Terry took to the well-known social media platform Instagram to announce his disappointment at the sacking of Mourinho. He said it was a ‘sad, sad day’ and that he was ‘going to miss the Portuguese 52 year old. He wrote, “The very best I have ever worked with, unbelievable memories together. Thank you doesn’t seem enough”.

Chelsea defender Cesar Azpilicueta echoed Terry’s thoughts, saying, “I would publicly like to thank Jose Mourinho for his contribution to this club and for everything he has taught me over the years. I want to wish him all the best for the future. With him we have achieved very important titles and memories for the fans that will remain in the history of Chelsea forever. He will always be remembered. Thank you mister”.

The players’ remarks are in direct contrast to the words of the club’s technical director, Michael Emenalo, however, who said that there was a ‘palpable discord between manager and players’ towards the end of Mourinho’s time at the club. The 52 year old’s choice of words in saying that he felt a sense of ‘betrayal’ by his players after their 2-1 loss to Leicester City at The King Power Stadium on Monday night causing the club’s owner, Roman Abramovich, to re-think his support of Mourinho.

With 69 year old Hiddink rumoured to be at a London hotel today talking to Chelsea officials, the club will be hoping that they can get their season back on track before it’s too late. A loss at the weekend to Sunderland combined with a victory for Norwich City over Manchester United at Old Trafford would see the Blues drop into the relegation zone and mean that the Dutchman would really have his work cut out to help Chelsea climb the table over the busy festive period.

Chelsea Football Club have today confirmed that Jose Mourinho has been released from his contract as their manager, just seven months after they won the Premier League title under his leadership.

The 52 year old Portuguese has gone from being the self-proclaimed ‘Special One’ to an ‘Unemployed One’ after the Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich decided enough was enough. The Blues have endured a torrid start to the new campaign, losing nine of their opening sixteen league games and getting knocked out of the League Cup by Stoke City.

Mourinho enjoyed a strong second season at Stamford Bridge when he won the Premier League and the League Cup during his second spell at the club. He returned in 2013 after spells at Inter Milan and Real Madrid and was rewarded for his success last season with a new four year contract in August of this year.

Chelsea released a statement about the situation today which said, “Chelsea Football Club and Jose Mourinho have today parted company by mutual consent. All at Chelsea thank Jose for his immense contribution since he returned as manager in the summer of 2013. His three league titles, FA Cup, Community Shield and three League Cup wins over two spells make him the most successful manager in our 110-year history. But both Jose and the board agreed results have not been good enough this season and believe it is in the best interests of both parties to go our separate ways. The club wishes to make clear Jose leaves us on good terms and will always remain a much-loved, respected and significant figure at Chelsea. His legacy at Stamford Bridge and in England has long been guaranteed and he will always be warmly welcomed back to Stamford Bridge. The club’s focus is now on ensuring our talented squad reaches its potential. There will be no further comment until a new appointment is made”.

Alan Shearer, a pundit for the BBC’s Match Of The Day, said he was ‘shocked but not surprised’ by Chelsea’s decision to remove Mourinho from his position, especially as their form has been so poor this season. He told BBC Radio 5 live, “I’ve never known a capitulation like it from a football club,” the former England captain told BBC Radio 5 live. I have never known players to perform like they did last season and then be so bad now. It’s unprecedented”.

The Blues are gearing up to play Sunderland at the weekend in the knowledge that, given they are only one point above the bottom three in the Premier League, a loss combined with a win for Norwich City at Manchester United would see them drop into the relegation places. Sunderland manager Sam Allardyce said, “I am shocked to say the least…They must already have somebody lined up to have done it now. I’m sad to see Jose go because I got to know him quite well and he’s a great manager with great character. He’s a loss to the Premier League”.

Although it’s believed that Roman Abramovich wanted to give him time to turn things around after the club’s appalling start to the campaign, it is understood that it is Mourinho’s disintegrating relationship with his players that has caused the Russian to call time on the Portuguese’s second managerial reign at the club. Former Arsenal defender Martin Keown seemed to confirm the failing relations between manager and players when he said, “It has imploded in front of our eyes. It is astonishing. I saw players who were not giving everything. There is no trust there, respect is gone. Ultimately it is easier to change a manager than 22 players”.

The defending Premier League champions are currently 20 points behind the league leaders Leicester City after they lost 2-1 to the Foxes at The King Power Stadium on Monday night. The situation means that the Blues will struggle to finish in the Champion’s League places, with their only hope of appearing in the competition next year seeming to be to win the competition outright, something that is possible thanks to their qualification to the last 16 after a 2-0 win over Mourinho’s old club Porto.

Mourinho remains Chelsea’s most successful ever manager, having won three Premier League titles, an FA Cup and the League Cup on three occasions. Both of his spells at the London club have been riddled with controversy, however, with his most recent season starting off with a fallout with his medical team.

Mourinho avoided an FA rap after saying the club doctor, Eva Carneiro, and the physio, Jon Fearn, were ‘naive’ for running on to the pitch to treat the Chelsea winger Eden Hazard during the club’s opening day fixture against Swansea City at Stamford Bridge. The Blues were already down to 10 men thanks to the sending of of their goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois for a foul on the Swans’ striker Bafetimbi Gomis.

Carneiro found her role at the club was downgraded in the wake of the incident and eventually decided to leave her post on the 22nd of September. She is currently taking legal action against both Mourinho and the club itself, with the incident rumoured to be the start of the disintegration of the Portuguese’s relationship with his squad.

The Chelsea manager received a one match suspended stadium ban and a £50,000 fine when he claimed that referees were ‘afraid’ to award his side penalties. In a separate incident he served a one match stadium ban and paid a £40,000 fine after he refused to leave the referee’s dressing room during a 2-1 loss to West Ham.

It is understood that Guus Kiddink, who has already been the Chelsea manager for a spell, is likely to come in as an interim manager at Stamford Bridge until the end of the season. With Pep Guardiola reportedly ready to tell Bayern Munich that he will leave in the summer and Diego Simeone considering trying his hand at club management in England, it is possible that either could yet end up in West London.

As for Jose Mourinho, the BBC’s Dan Roan, who broke the news of the 52 year old’s dismissal, believes they he is unlikely to paid the £40 million compensation that has been mentioned in some quarters, but is likely to be paid the remaining £12 million he is owed for this season. With Manchester United likely to consider their options if Louis Van Gaal fails to improve things at Old Trafford and Paris St. Germain always looking to improve their situation, it is unlikely that he’ll be out of work for long.

According to reports in The Times newspaper the reason that Jose Mourinho chose to make reference to a ‘betrayal’ by his players stems from the fact that he believes one of the members of his team leaked his team selection before Chelsea’s recent game against Porto.

Mourinho talked of a ‘betrayal’ in three separate interviews in the aftermath of the defending Premier League champion’s 2-1 loss to current league leaders Leicester City at the weekend. He was reportedly still furious over his belief that a member of his dressing room leaked information about his decision to drop Cesc Fabregas from his starting line-up for the Blues’ Champion’s League final group game against his former club last week.

Mourinho is known to be extremely secretive about his tactical plans, demanding that his players and staff don’t even tell family members or their agents whether or not they’ll be in the next game. Yet a former colleague from his time at Porto informed him that they knew that the Spanish midfielder Fabregas wouldn’t start the game before the team sheets were released, leading him to conclude that the information must have come from within his dressing room.

The self-proclaimed ‘Special One’ hasn’t yet discovered the culprit, but it’s understood that Fabregas himself is not a suspect as he spoke out in favour of his manager recently and said that ‘big players’ paid ‘big wages’ needed to justify their earnings.

During the 52 year old’s final season at Real Madrid similar issues emerged regarding Mourinho believing that his own players were leaking his tactics and team selections to the opposition, causing the Portuguese manager to talk of being ‘stabbed in the back’ when a detailed outline of his plans appeared in the Spanish media. Despite having success with Los Blancos it proved to be the straw that broke the camel’s back of Mourinho’s management at The Santiago Bernabéu and he left the club in 2013.

In spite of the doubt surrounding the Chelsea manager’s future he still attended a Christmas party for Chelsea’s younger fans, as well as a hospital visit with his first-team squad on Wednesday. Relationships remain frosty, however, with Mourinho using the club’s official TV channel to launch an attack on his player’s professionalism.

Speaking on Chelsea TV the current manager said, “Some of them need to rethink how the way they live Chelsea, they live football, they live their job. Chelsea is big, football is more than a job, it’s a passion. Every match on the pitch you should live with an unbelievable passion. How many millions would love to be football players and they can’t be? You shouldn’t waste any minutes on the pitch, you should enjoy every minute and give absolutely everything. Yes, I feel frustrated with some players, and I feel that some others, they give everything and don’t deserve to lose”.

Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas has criticised his fellow team-mates and suggested they need to start playing like ‘big players’ in order to justify their ‘big wages’.

In the wake of the defending Premier League champions’ 2-1 loss to Leicester City at the weekend, Fabregas has confessed that Jose Mourinho was right to feel ‘betrayed’ by his players and that the Blues need to do much better in the future.

Fabregas said, “If you are a big player and paid like a big player, you must play like a big player and behave like a big player. I am not saying you can’t have a bad season and bad games but the attitude must be spot on. We must always be at the top of our games and the behaviour has to be better than what we are seeing right now from every single Chelsea player”.

With Mourinho coming under increasing pressure after Chelsea lost their ninth game of the season, former Chelsea winger Pat Nevin suggested that the self-proclaimed ‘Special One’ was wrong to suggest that the club are not going to be involved in a relegation battle. He told BBC Radio 5 live, “You have to be realistic about relegation. Absolutely do not ignore it. When you lack confidence, that can spread through the team and it all can go against you. I don’t think they’ll go down, but don’t bury your head in the sand. It’s a possibility, so don’t ignore it. I didn’t think they’d be down there after 16 games. What about 20 games? What about 23 or 24? Then you start thinking about it”.

Midfielder Fabregas refused to be drawn on the issue when he was featured during a Facebook question and answer session and said, “Right now is not the time to think of where we might finish”.

Should Chelsea lose to Sunderland this weekend then they will replace the Black Cats in the relegation zone and Mourinho’s position will become almost untenable. Historically teams that have had just 15 points after their first 16 games have finished in an average position of 17th, meaning that the Blues will have to have a phenomenal finish to the campaign if they hope to avoid getting involved in a battle at the bottom of the table.

It has emerged that Chelsea Football Club are considering different managerial options to replace Jose Mourinho, should the current manager fail to turn things around at Stamford Bridge in the coming weeks.

Chelsea’s owner, Roman Abramovich, led talks with his board of directors today in the wake of the club’s 2-1 loss to Leicester City at The King Power Stadium at the weekend. The loss was the club’s ninth in their opening sixteen games. The defending Premier League champions currently sit just a point above the relegation zone and have only won two of their last ten games.

Despite losing just one of his opening 99 league games at Stamford Bridge as manager, the self-proclaimed ‘Special One’ has overseen four losses at home in the club’s last eight matches there.

As things currently stand there is a lack of clarity regarding whether or not Mourinho will remain in charge for Chelsea’s match against Sunderland at the weekend or if the club plan to replace him before the game kicks off.

The Chelsea board gave Mourinho their backing in October, but league results have not improved since and the Blues’ manager appears to be blaming anyone but himself for their poor results. After the match against the league leaders Leicester, Mourinho said, “I did an amazing job last season and brought the players to a level that is not their level and now they can’t maintain it”.

With Mourinho having returned the title to Stamford Bridge last May and having signed a new four year contract in August, Roman Abramovich is keen to stick with his man. Chelsea’s disastrous league form, which has seen them take a mere 15 points from 16 games, has given the Russian cause to re-think his strategy.

Chelsea are 20 points behind Leicester City after their loss to them at the weekend and they are currently 14 points shy of the Champion’s League places. They are through to the last 16 phase of this season’s Champion’s League competition but are unlikely to feature in it next year unless they win it outright.

Mourinho has a proven record of success as a manager, and offering him the chance to turn things around is seemingly what is delaying Abramovich’s decision over his future. The January transfer window opens soon and, with the Portuguese manager having spent more money than any other manager in the history of football, the chance to bring in some new faces and shift on some of the perceived deadwood could offer the 52 year old the opportunity to get the club’s season back on track.

Another reason Chelsea’s board are reluctant to make any rash decisions regarding the manager’s position is that there is a lack of a quality successor in the managerial market. Carlo Ancelotti is currently unemployed but has already been sacked by Chelsea and is reportedly being lined up by Bayern Munich to take over from Pep Guardiola, should the Spaniard decide to take over from Manuel Pellegrini at Manchester City in the summer.

Diego Simeone is another manager that Abramovich is keen on, but it is believed that he wants to stay at Atletico Madrid for at least one more season. That means that Guus Hiddink, one of the few managers to leave Chelsea without being sacked by the board, could return.

The Times are reporting that Juande Ramos is being considered as a potential caretaker manager, should the club choose to remove Mourinho from his position. The Spaniard would be keen to return to the Premier League, having previously won silverware with Tottenham Hotspur, and he is out of work after leaving the Ukrainian club Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk last year.

Although Chelsea’s Russian owner would like to see Mourinho turn things around at the club there is a fear that he has alienated too many players and some of his relationships are now irreparable. The result of the match against Sunderland at the weekend could prove to be the deciding moment for Abramovich and his board.

Jose Mourinho used his post-match interview in the wake of his team’s loss to Leicester City at The King Power Stadium to launch an astonishing attack on his Chelsea players.

The self-proclaimed ‘Special One’ pointed the blame at virtually everyone except himself after the game, even going so far as to say that he got his team playing far better than their talent suggests they should have been, saying, “One possibility is that I did an amazing job last season and brought the players to a level that is not their level and now they can’t maintain it”.

The loss left the defending Premier League champions just two points off the relegation zone after sixteen games. Chelsea have only scored 18 goals this season and they’ve only managed one in their last eight hours and eleven minutes of league football.

Goals from Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez condemned Chelsea to their ninth league loss of the campaign and left them 16th in the Premier League. After the game Mourinho said, “One of my best qualities is to read the game for my players and I feel like my work was betrayed”.

With the Blues having lost just three games last term, something has clearly gone wrong this time around and Mourinho is getting increasingly frustrated. He said that he has ‘no complaints’ with his players’ work in training but that it was ‘frustrating’ to observe ‘what they do in matches’.

Although Chelsea could drop into the bottom three if they lose to Sunderland at the weekend, Jose Mourinho does not believe that his team are in a relegation battle. He said, “I accept we are in the relegation zone, but I don’t accept we are in a relegation battle. You look at the table and we are there, but you think you are in a relegation battle if you think you are there for three or four months. I don’t think that”.

He went on to say that he genuinely thinks his club could yet battle for a place in the top six, but that right now he lacks pride in the work that his players are producing on the pitch. He said, “We can’t finish top four, but we can still finish top six because so many teams are dropping points. At the moment, we are in a zone where I feel ashamed”.

Despite the fact that he is enduring his worst campaign as a manager in any division in any country, the Portuguese manager has no intention to quit Stamford Bridge. He said, “The only thing I can say is that I want to be the manager. I have no doubts and I think you know me well enough to know that I am not afraid of a big challenge and in this moment it is a really big challenge. I want to stay and I hope Mr Roman Abramovich and the board want me to stay because I want to stay”.

The Chelsea manager was far from impressed by the attitude of Eden Hazard in the match. The PFA Player of the Year from last season was involved in an incident at the start of the season that led to Jose Mourinho publicly criticising his medical staff. In turn that led to the resignation of the club doctor, Eva Carneiro, who is now suing the club for unfair dismissal.

It seems appropriate, then, that Hazard was involved in another medical incident last night. He was involved in a challenge with Jamie Vardy after thirty minutes of the match and informed the medical staff that he wasn’t fit enough to carry on. Mourinho wasn’t impressed and delivered a somewhat sarcastic dress down for the winger, saying, “He made the decision to come off, so it must be a serious injury. His first reaction was ‘I can’t continue’, his second reaction was ‘I want to try’, but after his first step back on the pitch he said he couldn’t. He’s injured clearly”.

Having criticised his players and suggesting they’re no longer as good as he is the Portuguese manager then turned on the Leicester City ball boys. He felt that they wasted time in the match and said, “They [Leicester] fought with everything, they defended with everything, and the ball boys were amazing too. I say the point about the ball boys because it’s a disgrace for the Premier League, but I want to make it clear I don’t want that story to be in front of a result Leicester deserved”. The main story after the match is not the ball boys but Jose Mourinho and his future at Chelsea Football Club.