Mourinho Denies Rift With Players

Jose Mourinho has been forced to deny there are any problems between him and his playing staff after he failed to start John Terry in the defending Premier League champion’s home match against their London rivals Arsenal at the weekend.

Chelsea were 17th in the league going into the match at Stamford Bridge having only managed one victory in their first five league games. A 4-0 win over Maccabi Tel Aviv in the Champion’s League during the week gave them some confidence before the match against Arsenal, but rumours surfaced that John Terry and Diego Costa had had a falling out in training.

Responding to the rumours of a bust up Mourinho said, “’Diego Costa fought with John Terry and before they start the fight they brought a translator for them to understand each other, because Diego cannot speak English and John cannot speak Spanish’. You [the media] always go in this direction, which is funny. The other direction you don’t go is the direction which is real”.

When fit John Terry has been a mainstay of Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea teams since the Portuguese manager arrived at Stamford Bridge in 2004. Yet questions were asked of the pair’s relationship when Terry was substituted at half time in the Blues’ 3-0 defeat away to Manchester City earlier in the season. Terry was also an unused substitute during Chelsea’s midweek Champion’s League match, though many expected him to return to the starting line up against the Gunners.

Instead the self proclaimed Special One opted to go for a centre back pairing of Gary Cahill and Kurt Zouma – a decision he will have felt was justified when Zouma made an excellent tackle on Theo Walcott when the speedy winger was close to breaking through the Chelsea defence late in the first half. Regarding his decision Mourinho said, “Terry is player of my total confidence. If he is on the bench or I take him off doesn’t change anything”.

Mourinho was scathing of the press’ attempts to find a story where none exists, saying, “Normally when bad results happen the first thing that comes into your laptops, iPads and pens is to find a dramatic story: ‘Somebody punch somebody in the dressing room’, ‘The manager doesn’t want to speak with this guy’. Problems between me and my players I can promise you – zero”.

The 2-0 win over Arsenal means that Chelsea have now got seven points on the board and have climbed to 15th in the table, yet they sit eight points shy of league leaders Manchester City despite the fact that Manuel Pellegrini’s men also lost at the weekend.

Jose Mourinho To Be Investigated Over Offensive Language

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho is to be investigated over the language he used during the Eva Carneiro affair, the Football Association have announced.

A member of the public apparently emailed the FA regarding the incident which occurred during Chelsea’s 2-2 draw at home to Swansea on the opening day of the season.

Having already lost Thibaut Courtois to a red card for a foul on Bafetimbi Gomis earlier in the match, Mourinho was incensed to see both the Chelsea club doctor Eva Carneiro and the physio Jon Fearn run on to the pitch when Eden Hazard appeared to be lying on the floor with an injury.

The Premier League’s rules are such that if a player is given treatment then he must leave the field of play, meaning that Chelsea were temporarily reduced to nine men with just minutes of the game remaining and the score line finely balanced. Mourinho, clearly angry on the sideline, can be seen to shout, “Hey! Hey! Get off the pitch now! F**king hell!” He then went on to shout “filho da puta” at the doctor, a Portuguese phrase that means ‘son of a bitch’.

The Football Associations own regulations state that ‘offensive, insulting or abusive language and/or gestures’ used by players or managers can be penalised, with more aggravating language, such as sexist words, can lead to a five match ban in the event that the perpetrator is found guilty by the FA.

After the match the defending Premier League champion’s manager called his medical team’s actions “impulsive and naïve” and went on to say, “Whether you are a kit man, doctor or secretary on the bench you have to understand the game. You have to know you have one player less and to assist a player you must be sure he has a serious problem. I was sure Eden did not have a serious problem. He had a knock. He was tired”. His use of the phrase ‘secretary on the bench’ led some to believe he was making a thinly veiled sexist remark at Carneiro’s expense, though it is unlikely that that will form part of the FA’s investigation.

Carneiro is yet to return to her role as doctor at Chelsea and has been in discussions with her lawyers since the event took place. Her role was downgraded by Mourinho, with the decision taken that she would not sit on the bench or attend training sessions, though she would still work with first team players at Cobham, Chelsea’s training ground. The Times reported last week that she is now close to returning to first team duties at the club, though it remains unclear what format those duties will take.

Jose Mourinho: Costa Was Man Of The Match

Jose Mourinho chose to wade in on the debate over Deigo Costa’s behaviour during Chelsea’s match with Arsenal by claiming there was no controversy and that the Brazilian born Spanish international should have named as Man Of The Match.

Chelsea ran out 2-0 winners over their North London rivals in a match that was filled with moments of controversy, most of which had Costa at the centre of them.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger was incensed that Costa managed to stay on the pitch until Mourinho substituted him off to a standing ovation after 82 minutes. Wenger said, “He can do what he wants and he stays on. Everyone else that responds to him has to be sent off. It’s unacceptable. But he always gets away with it. He will do the same again next week, and the week after, and he always gets away with it”.

The flash point in the match came just before the half time whistle when Costa and Laurent Koscielny clashed in the Arsenal penalty area. Costa appeared to grab at Koscielny’s face, elbow him in the nose and swing his arm at him before chest barging the defender to the floor. The referee, Mike Dean, then booked the Spaniard and Gabriel Paulista who had got involved in the confrontation.

It looked as though the match would then peter out into the interval until Costa provoked Gabriel, walking behind him and whispering to him, causing the defender to lash out slightly with his foot. Costa predictably made a meal of it and appealed to the referee who, despite not seeing the incident himself, showed Gabriel a straight red.

Mourinho was typically defiant about the incident after the match saying, “He played like he has to play and that is why you have full stadiums and you sell football to television around the world for millions and millions. Because the game has to be played like that, OK? Man of the match, for me”.

The Portuguese manager may well have been glad to see one of his players show a bit of fight after the defending Premier League champion’s had managed just one win in the five league games they played prior to this match. Wenger, however, was less than impressed by Costa’s tactics and believes the Football Association should do something about it as it is ‘the least they can do’. He said, “To have two sendings-off for us and Diego Costa still on the pitch, it is a shame. In every game there is aggravation from him. If you look at the pictures and what he does to Koscielny, he pushes him down and hits him in the face. He is always provoking and he also uses the naivety of Mike Dean in this game, as well as my players. Gabriel deserves it but I don’t understand how Costa was not sent off”.

Mourinho, however, does not want his striker to curb his more provocative style and responded to Wenger’s suggestion that he breaks the rules of the game by saying, “Which rules? Your rules?… My view is this – and this why I’m proud of my club – I played against Arsenal maybe 12, 15, 18 times and only once he didn’t moan. And that day we lost. We lost the Community Shield, it was not good for us but we behaved in a fantastic way – no excuses, not crying, not moaning. I have to cope with my defeats; tonight he has to cope with his defeat”.

Mourinho Calls BBC Reporter’s Question “Stupid”

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho appears to be struggling to maintain his calm in the fact of Chelsea’s poor form so far this season and has told a BBC reporter his question was ‘stupid’ in his press conference before the defending Premier League champion’s Champion’s League match against Maccabi Tel Aviv.

Mourinho has never managed more than three seasons at any club in his career as a top flight boss. He can be excused for leaving Porto after two seasons when Roman Abramovich’s Chelsea came calling and he left the Blues when he disagreed with the Russian oligarch over the use of Andrey Schevchenko and the appointment of Avram Grant as manager.

He led Inter Milan to the Serie A title in his first year there and then continued into a second season despite making non-too subtle overtures to Manchester United about taking over from Alex Ferguson. Inter successfully defended their Serie A title and also won the Champion’s League, leading Real Madrid to take the plunge and offer him the position of manager at the club. Again, Mourinho could be excused for swapping Inter Milan for one of the biggest clubs in the world.

He lasted three seasons at Real Madrid before leaving, despite signing a new contract in between years two and three, to return to Chelsea. An average win ratio of 76.30% dropped to 63.20% in his third year at Chelsea the first time around and it went from 76.30% in year one of Real Madrid to 86.20% in year two before dropping to 68.40% in year three. So far in his third season of his second spell at Chelsea he’s won just one game in the first five fixtures, leading many to believe that he suffers from a third season syndrome.

When asked by the BBC’s Ben Smith if he felt he still has the qualities of a great manager and whether his struggles in his third seasons were problematic the Portuguese manager replied, “Look, my third season – in Porto, I didn’t have a third season. My third season in Inter, I didn’t have a third season. My third season at Chelsea the first time, I won the FA Cup and the Carling Cup, and I played the Champions League semi-finals. My third season in Real Madrid, I won the Super Cup, I lost the cup [Copa del Rey] final, and I went to the Champions League semi-finals. These are my third seasons… So click Google, instead of making stupid questions, click Google and try to find… you spoke about the third season, and I am telling you that the question is stupid, because the third season is what I told you… I know the point, the point is that the question is stupid. I am sorry…”

Given Chelsea’s poor start to the season many will feel the question is far from stupid and that Mourinho will need to see a dramatic improvement in his side’s results if he is to persuade Roman Abramovich to have a bit more patience with him. It will alarm many Chelsea fans that Mourinho’s relationship with the press has seemingly taken a turn for the worse considering it was that that seemed to force him out of the Bernabau towards the end of his time at Real Madrid. Mourinho reportedly said to a journalist from Marca, Real Madrid’s mouthpiece, “In the world of soccer, my people and I are top and in the world of journalism you’re a sh*t”.

Stamford Bridge Revamp Gets Council Go Ahead

Hammersmith and Fulham council have declared that they are “generally happy” about Chelsea’s plans to redevelop Stamford Bridge.

Roman Abramovich has chosen to invest in the redevelopment of Chelsea’s home ground in order to bring the Bridge up to date with the capacity of the Premier League defending champion’s rivals.

Chelsea’s current stadium has been their home since 1905 and has a capacity of 42,000. That is significantly smaller than Manchester United’s 79, 000, Arsenal’s 60,000 and Manchester City’s 55,000. Liverpool are also currently revamping their stadium to take it from 42,500 to a 54,000 capacity stadium.

Abramovich had initially wanted to move away from Stamford Bridge and the Chelsea hierarchy described the likelihood of expanding their current home as “not feasible or viable” in 2012. The club had made an approach to build a new stadium on the grounds of the iconic Battersea Power Station, but that was rejected.

Chelsea are reportedly close to agreeing a deal with Wembley in order to allow them to play their home games at the stadium of the national team having previously been turned down when the made a similar approach to play at the home of England rugby, Twickenham.

Having submitted their preliminary documents to the Hammersmith and Fulham council and received their blessing as long as “certain conditions are met”, Chelsea are now expected to submit their full application. It is hoped that work can begin on the new stadium at the start of next season.

Mourinho Insists: I’m The Right Man For Chelsea

Jose Mourinho has come out swinging in the aftermath of Chelsea’s defeat to Everton, informing his critics that he is the right man to take the club forward regardless of what others might think.

Mourinho has found himself under an unusual amount of pressure after his club’s poor start to the season, with the Blues managing just a single victory since the beginning of the campaign.

A disappointing 2-2 home draw with Gary Monk’s Swansea on the opening day of the new Premier League season was overshadowed by Mourinho’s criticism of his medical team, specifically Eva Carneiro. Carneiro ran on to the pitch after being beckoned twice by the match referee Michael Oliver. She gave treatment to Eden Hazard which meant the forward had to be taken off the pitch, leaving the hosts with nine men after the earlier dismissal of Thibaut Courtois for a foul on Bafetimbi Gomis. Mourinho criticised the doctor and said that even if she was a “secretary on the bench” she should understand the game.

That result was followed by a 3-0 loss away to Manchester City, a 3-2 victory over West Bromwich Albion at The Hawthorns and a 2-1 loss at home to Crystal Palace before the international break. Their defeat to Everton at the weekend left the defending champions 11 points shy of Manchester City who are at the top of the table with a 100% record.

Despite Chelsea enduring their worst start to a top flight campaign in 29 years, however, Mourinho remains convinced that he is the right man to lead Chelsea out of their current crisis. He said, “The results are the worst in my career. They are not adapted to my quality, my status, but I am coping well with the situation. I am not feeling pressure. I am the man for the job. I don’t think there is better man who could come and do my job”.

Mourinho admitted that Chelsea will struggle to defend their Premier League crown after their poor start to the season, but joked that they should at least be able to avoid relegation. He said, “It is out of our control,” he said. “To win the title, it will depend on us to improve the results but also on other clubs who are above us to lose matches. Even if we win every game between now and the end of season, we still depend on other results. Next year people can be sure Chelsea won’t be playing in the Championship”.

Mourinho feels as though his side is currently enduring a run of extremely bad luck and that nothing is going their way. He said, “Today the game was completely under control and every mistake we made we were punished. Every shot is a goal, every mistake is a goal. The moment is so negative that everything goes against us. At the tactical meeting we had this morning, even the computer broke. But of course it was not because of that that we did not win”.

Chelsea have a chance to bounce back from their disappointing league form with a Champion’s League match against Maccabi Tel Aviv this week and Mourinho has told his critics to enjoy their moment in the sun as he plans to bounce back with immediate effect. He told the press, “I know that a lot of people are happy that after so many years to see me in a situation like this. Fair play. Enjoy. But I will enjoy my day tomorrow, again working hard as always thinking that on Wednesday we can win”.

Chelsea Manager In Dispute With Everton Boss Martinez

It has emerged that Jose Mourinho had some choice words to say to Roberto Martinez in the aftermath of Chelsea’s defeat to Everton at Goodison Park over the weekend.

Martinez, the Everton manager, spoke to the press first after the full time whistle was blown and the Toffees had beaten the defending Premier League champions thanks to a Steven Naismith hat trick.

After he left the press room Martinez was being interviewed by a journalist from the local newspaper The Liverpool Daily Echo when Mourinho walked past and said, “Roberto, next time tell me to go before you because we have to travel”. Martinez replied, “I don’t control that, Jose. I don’t control that”. Mourinho then said, “f*cking hell” as he walked away.

Roberto Martinez was unruffled and said to The Liverpool Echo’s reporter, “When he beat us 6-3 last season he was such a nice man. I prefer him like that”.

It was the second time that day that Jose Mourinho had fallen foul of the press as before kick off he walked out of an interview with BT Sport’s Ray Stubbs when the interviewer asked him about the club’s summer long pursuit of Everton’s John Stones. Mourinho said, “Before the game this is too long” prior to storming sway from the journalist.

Despite the attempt from Mourinho to suggest that Martinez had disobeyed managerial etiquette there is no ruling that says the away manager should speak to the media before the home manager. The current rules surrounding post match media obligations only say that there must be a press conference and that both managers must speak, but the order they speak in is not dictated.

Thibaut Courtois Out For Three Months

Chelsea’s season has shown no sign of improving recently, with the defeat to Everton merely the latest chapter in a line of bad news for Jose Mourinho’s club. The Blues’ manager admitted that his first choice goalkeeper, Thibaut Courtois, will be out for at least three months as he recovers from a knee injury.

Courtois damaged his medial ligaments in a training exercise last weekend and at first it was hoped that the injury wouldn’t be too serious. Yet Mourinho confirmed the Chelsea fans’ worst fears when he said, “It is a big blow, it is not easy to have the best goalkeeper in the world injured”, as he told the press that he would be out until the middle of November.

Mourinho brought in former Stoke ‘keeper Asmir Begovic this summer when Petr Cech was allowed to join Arsenal, and the stopper has already deputised for Courtois after the Belgian was sent off against Swansea. Mourinho said, “I’m very sad for Thibaut and the team but we have a top keeper and Begovic will be in goal”.

The self proclaimed Special One may well be telling the press that he considers Begovic to be a first class goalkeeper but the fact that the Bosnian has now played two and a bit games for Chelsea and has conceded seven goals will not be inspiring confidence in the defending Premier League champion’s defence.

The injury to Courtois means that Chelsea are likely to be without their first choice goalkeeper for big games against Arsenal, Southampton and Liverpool as well as Champion’s League fixtures against Maccabi Tel Aviv, FC Porto and Dynamo Kiev.

Eva Carneiro Yet To Return To Work

Chelsea’s team doctor Eva Carneiro has yet to return to work at the defending Premier League champions after she was downgraded in the wake of Chelsea’s 2-2 home draw with Swansea on the opening day of the season.

Carneiro ran on to the pitch with Chelsea’s head physio Jon Fearn when Eden Hazard went down injured, much to the annoyance of manager Jose Mourinho. Despite being called on to the pitch several times by the match referee Michael Oliver, the Chelsea manager felt his medical team should have left Hazard to recover in his own time.

The medical staff’s decision to treat the mercurial midfielder meant that he had to come off the pitch, leaving the home team with nine men after Thibaut Courtois had already been given his marching orders for a foul on Bafetimbi Gomis.

Mourinho called his medical team “impulsive and naïve” for their actions and suggested that they “did not understand the game”. His comments were criticised for bordering on the sexist when he said, “Even if you are a kit man, doctor or secretary on the bench, you have to understand the game”.

He was also criticised by Eamonn Salmon, the chief executive of the Football Medical Association, who said, “They conducted themselves with integrity and professionalism – that is their job. We feel that she has been treated harshly”. The self proclaimed Special One has refused to back down, though, demoting Carneiro and suggesting that she will not be allowed to retake her place on the Chelsea bench when she does come back to work”.

The Portuguese manager claims that he has an “open relationship [with the medical staff]…that is open to criticism”, yet Carneiro, who has been with the club for five years, remains in ongoing discussions with her lawyers regarding her next step.

The incident is due to be discussed by the world governing body FIFA’s medical committee when the meet on September 11th, with scrutiny increasingly likely given the doctor’s refusal to return to work under Jose Mourinho.

Djilobodji Omitted From Champion’s League Squad

Papy Djilobodji, Chelsea’s deadline day defensive signing, has been left out of the club’s Champion’s League squad.

Clubs are required to submit a 25 man squad to UEFA for the group stages of the Champion’s League before the competition begins proper, signaling which players they intend to use in Europe’s premier contest.

26 year old Djilobodji, who was signed from French club Nantes in a £4 million deal, has been left out of Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho’s squad for the competition. The Senegalese defender has been bought with the intention of giving some competition to the Blues’ current defensive crop, especially considering the team’s poor start to the season.

John Terry, the Chelsea captain, was substituted during the team’s 3-0 loss away to Manchester City. He returned to the first XI for their game against West Bromwich Albion but was promptly shown a red card when he hauled down Solomon Rondon when was through on goal. That meant he missed the defending Premier League champion’s game at home to Crystal Palace that the Blues lost 2-1.

Despite the other new Chelsea signings Asmir Begovic, Abdul Rahman Baba, Pedro and Radamel Falcao being included in the Champion’s League squad, however, Djilobodji has been left out by the self-proclaimed Special One.