Drama as Jose Mourinho leaves Blues
Chelsea are searching for a new manager after Jose Mourinho sensationally left Stamford Bridge by mutual consent on Wednesday night.
Mourinho joined the Blues in June 2004 after guiding FC Porto to Champions League glory.
In his three full seasons with Chelsea he won five major trophies - two successive Premiership titles, two Carling Cup successes and victory against Manchester United in last season's FA Cup Final.
However, he failed to guide the club past the semi-finals of the Champions League and his final game was Tuesday's grim 1-1 draw with Norwegian side Rosenborg.
Without the injured Didier Drogba in recent weeks, Chelsea had looked toothless in attack and the draw against Rosenborg followed a defeat at Aston Villa and goalless stalemate with Blackburn.
Mourinho left after the club held a crisis meeting on Wednesday to discuss the side's indifferent start to the new season
His relationship with Blues owner Roman Abramovich has been poor for some time and he had been tipped to leave the club at the end of last season.
Mourinho, who still had three years left on his contract, texted several senior players on Wednesday night to confirm his departure.
Former Israel coach Avram Grant, recruited in the summer as director of football, is expected to take charge of the side for Sunday's Premier League clash with Manchester United.
Former Chelsea player Didier Deschamps has already been linked with the Stamford Bridge vacancy as has Russia manager Guus Hiddink and Sevilla coach Juande Ramos.
Mourinho took charge of 185 games during his time with the Blues, winning 124, drawing 40 and losing 21. Chelsea are currently unbeaten in their last 60 Premier League games at Stamford Bridge under Mourinho's guidance.
Mourinho joined the Blues in June 2004 after guiding FC Porto to Champions League glory.
In his three full seasons with Chelsea he won five major trophies - two successive Premiership titles, two Carling Cup successes and victory against Manchester United in last season's FA Cup Final.
However, he failed to guide the club past the semi-finals of the Champions League and his final game was Tuesday's grim 1-1 draw with Norwegian side Rosenborg.
Without the injured Didier Drogba in recent weeks, Chelsea had looked toothless in attack and the draw against Rosenborg followed a defeat at Aston Villa and goalless stalemate with Blackburn.
Mourinho left after the club held a crisis meeting on Wednesday to discuss the side's indifferent start to the new season
His relationship with Blues owner Roman Abramovich has been poor for some time and he had been tipped to leave the club at the end of last season.
Mourinho, who still had three years left on his contract, texted several senior players on Wednesday night to confirm his departure.
Former Israel coach Avram Grant, recruited in the summer as director of football, is expected to take charge of the side for Sunday's Premier League clash with Manchester United.
Former Chelsea player Didier Deschamps has already been linked with the Stamford Bridge vacancy as has Russia manager Guus Hiddink and Sevilla coach Juande Ramos.
Mourinho took charge of 185 games during his time with the Blues, winning 124, drawing 40 and losing 21. Chelsea are currently unbeaten in their last 60 Premier League games at Stamford Bridge under Mourinho's guidance.
Jose Mourinho
Club: Chelsea
Appointed: 02/ 06/ 2004
Date of Birth: 26/ 01/ 1963
Previous Clubs: FC Porto
Uniao de Leiria
Benfica
Honours:
Chelsea
2005-06 Barclays Premiership Champions
2004-05 Barclays Premiership Champions
League Cup Winners
Club: Chelsea
Appointed: 02/ 06/ 2004
Date of Birth: 26/ 01/ 1963
Previous Clubs: FC Porto
Uniao de Leiria
Benfica
Honours:
Chelsea
2005-06 Barclays Premiership Champions
2004-05 Barclays Premiership Champions
League Cup Winners
Jose Mourinho was appointed as the new manager of Chelsea on June 2nd 2004, just two days after Claudio Ranieri's dismissal from the post at Stamford Bridge.
Mourinho arrived at the west London club as one of the most highly-rated young coaches in Europe, having just won the Champions League with Porto after a 3-0 victory over Monaco in the final.
That was the icing on the cake for the determined young boss, who had also steered his side to a successful defence of their Portuguese League title in 2003/04 after guiding them to an amazing treble the previous year of a domestic league and cup double and the UEFA Cup, beating Celtic in a dramatic final.
The son of famous Portugal goalkeeper Felix Mourinho, Jose never played professionally but always had his sights set on a career in coaching. He first came into the spotlight as Bobby Robson's translator at Sporting Lisbon in the early 1990s, having held low-profile positions at Portuguese clubs Estrela Amadora and Vitoria Setubal prior to that.
Mourinho became increasing involved in training under the former England boss and went with him to Porto in 1993, helping the club to two league titles in three years.
In 1996, Robson again took Mourinho with him, this time appointing him as assistant coach at Barcelona, and though Robson left the following year, his number two remained at the Nou Camp to take up a new role under new boss Louis van Gaal.
In 2000, Mourinho took up his first job as a head coach, at Benfica, but he was there for just nine game before he resigned due to problems in the boardroom. Shortly after that, he was appointed coach at little-known club Uniao de Leiria and guided them into the top five of the Portuguese league midway through the 2001/02 season before returning to Porto as head coach.
Mourinho took over at Porto in January 2002 and was able to transform their fortunes immediately, helping them to overcome a poor start to the season to take them to third in the league.
In his first full season in charge, he then delivered three trophies: Portuguese league and cup, and UEFA Cup.
The following season, with the league title already secured once more, he then achieved what most people considered to be an unlikely feat of guiding Porto to glory in the Champions League, beating Manchester United with a last-minute goal at Old Trafford along the way.
Having stated immediately after Porto's victory over Monaco that he expected it to be his last game in charge, as he had promised an English club that he would be their manager the following season, it seemed inevitable that Mourinho was heading for Stamford Bridge.
With the manager's job at Liverpool also up for grabs, his name was linked with Anfield, but it looked more likely that he would be succeeding Claudio Ranieri at Chelsea, and on June 2nd that was confirmed.
After his appointment had been officially announced, Mourinho said: "Chelsea represent a fantastic challenge for me. It is a great club with a world-class squad of players. The plans and ambitions for Chelsea excite me and I am sure they will do the same for the fans whose incredible support I have already witnessed.
"The English Premiership is recognised as the best league in the world and I am really excited at the prospect of competing week in, week out at the highest level in England as well as in Europe."
Meanwhile, Chelsea's chief executive Peter Kenyon said: "The appointment of Jose Mourinho is all about building on the foundations which we have already established at Chelsea. He represents the new generation of football coaches and we are convinced he can take us to the next level, both in England in Europe. His record of sustained success makes him perfect for what we want to achieve at Chelsea."
Mourinho's role as a 21st century team boss is facilitated by the fact that he speaks several languages, and he has also adopted a scientific view of coaching, sometimes asking his players to study videos of their own performances at home, while also working closely with dietary specialists. He also incorporates American-style management techniques into his coaching, giving pep-talks using 'buzzwords', and asking his players to sacrifice their personal ambitions for the success of the team.
His first season in charge of the team was eventful to say the least. After putting Roman Abramovich's money to good use by signing several high profile players, he made a name for himself as a highly composed, if controversial, manager. Despite suffering defeats in the Champions League semi-final and FA Cup Fifth Round, he steered his team to a Carling Cup victory and their first Championship in fifty years, losing only one match and securing the record for most points won in one year.
However, the season was marred by several high-profile disputes. In the Champions League Quarter-Final Second Leg, he accused Barcelona boss Frank Rijkaard of 'influencing the referee' during the half-time break. This lead to a touchline ban during both leags of the semi-final against Bayern Munich. On the domestic front, meanwhile, he was accused of taunting Liverpool fans after his team took the lead in a tense and tight affair at the Millenium Stadium. No action was taken.
The most controversy, however, was reserved for a 'tapping up' scandal in the latter half of the season. After an FA inquiry into Chelsea's alleged unauthorised discussions with Arsenal's Ashley Cole, both Mourinho and Cole, along with the Chelsea board, were handed hefty fines.
Controversy aside, Mourinho's self-confidence, coupled with a large transfer kitty saw his side claim a second successive Barclays Premiership trophy in 05/06. However, success in the FA Cup and, more to the point, the Champions' League still eluded Mourinho as he watched his side crash out in the semi-finals and second round of the competitions respectivly.
Trouble again followed as the Portuguese boss called Arsene Wenger a "voyeur" and the Blues didn't always look the impenetrable force they had been in 04/05, losing to Manchester United, Middlesbrough and Fulham.
The summer captures of Andriy Shevchenko and Michael Ballack bode well for Mourinho's already talented team, but the new additions failed to settle in leading to much criticism of Mourinho from both the press and - allegedly - club owner Roman Abramovich.
Indeed, the 2006/07 season was a mixed one by Mourinho's high standards. On the one hand, he watched his side claim the Carling and FA Cups, beating Arsenal and Manchester United in the finals, but his team also relinquished the Premier League title to their Mancunian rivals and, just as in 2005, fell to defeat in the Champions' League semi-finals to Liverpool.
2007/08 started indifferently for Chelsea, with Mourinho under pressure to deliver style as well as substance, and after a defeat to Aston Villa, a draw against Blackburn and a draw against Rosenborg, he left the club in shock fashion in September 2007.
FC Porto
2003-04 Portuguese League Champions
UEFA Champions League Winners
2002-03 UEFA Cup Winners
Portuguese Cup Winners
Portuguese League Champions
Mourinho arrived at the west London club as one of the most highly-rated young coaches in Europe, having just won the Champions League with Porto after a 3-0 victory over Monaco in the final.
That was the icing on the cake for the determined young boss, who had also steered his side to a successful defence of their Portuguese League title in 2003/04 after guiding them to an amazing treble the previous year of a domestic league and cup double and the UEFA Cup, beating Celtic in a dramatic final.
The son of famous Portugal goalkeeper Felix Mourinho, Jose never played professionally but always had his sights set on a career in coaching. He first came into the spotlight as Bobby Robson's translator at Sporting Lisbon in the early 1990s, having held low-profile positions at Portuguese clubs Estrela Amadora and Vitoria Setubal prior to that.
Mourinho became increasing involved in training under the former England boss and went with him to Porto in 1993, helping the club to two league titles in three years.
In 1996, Robson again took Mourinho with him, this time appointing him as assistant coach at Barcelona, and though Robson left the following year, his number two remained at the Nou Camp to take up a new role under new boss Louis van Gaal.
In 2000, Mourinho took up his first job as a head coach, at Benfica, but he was there for just nine game before he resigned due to problems in the boardroom. Shortly after that, he was appointed coach at little-known club Uniao de Leiria and guided them into the top five of the Portuguese league midway through the 2001/02 season before returning to Porto as head coach.
Mourinho took over at Porto in January 2002 and was able to transform their fortunes immediately, helping them to overcome a poor start to the season to take them to third in the league.
In his first full season in charge, he then delivered three trophies: Portuguese league and cup, and UEFA Cup.
The following season, with the league title already secured once more, he then achieved what most people considered to be an unlikely feat of guiding Porto to glory in the Champions League, beating Manchester United with a last-minute goal at Old Trafford along the way.
Having stated immediately after Porto's victory over Monaco that he expected it to be his last game in charge, as he had promised an English club that he would be their manager the following season, it seemed inevitable that Mourinho was heading for Stamford Bridge.
With the manager's job at Liverpool also up for grabs, his name was linked with Anfield, but it looked more likely that he would be succeeding Claudio Ranieri at Chelsea, and on June 2nd that was confirmed.
After his appointment had been officially announced, Mourinho said: "Chelsea represent a fantastic challenge for me. It is a great club with a world-class squad of players. The plans and ambitions for Chelsea excite me and I am sure they will do the same for the fans whose incredible support I have already witnessed.
"The English Premiership is recognised as the best league in the world and I am really excited at the prospect of competing week in, week out at the highest level in England as well as in Europe."
Meanwhile, Chelsea's chief executive Peter Kenyon said: "The appointment of Jose Mourinho is all about building on the foundations which we have already established at Chelsea. He represents the new generation of football coaches and we are convinced he can take us to the next level, both in England in Europe. His record of sustained success makes him perfect for what we want to achieve at Chelsea."
Mourinho's role as a 21st century team boss is facilitated by the fact that he speaks several languages, and he has also adopted a scientific view of coaching, sometimes asking his players to study videos of their own performances at home, while also working closely with dietary specialists. He also incorporates American-style management techniques into his coaching, giving pep-talks using 'buzzwords', and asking his players to sacrifice their personal ambitions for the success of the team.
His first season in charge of the team was eventful to say the least. After putting Roman Abramovich's money to good use by signing several high profile players, he made a name for himself as a highly composed, if controversial, manager. Despite suffering defeats in the Champions League semi-final and FA Cup Fifth Round, he steered his team to a Carling Cup victory and their first Championship in fifty years, losing only one match and securing the record for most points won in one year.
However, the season was marred by several high-profile disputes. In the Champions League Quarter-Final Second Leg, he accused Barcelona boss Frank Rijkaard of 'influencing the referee' during the half-time break. This lead to a touchline ban during both leags of the semi-final against Bayern Munich. On the domestic front, meanwhile, he was accused of taunting Liverpool fans after his team took the lead in a tense and tight affair at the Millenium Stadium. No action was taken.
The most controversy, however, was reserved for a 'tapping up' scandal in the latter half of the season. After an FA inquiry into Chelsea's alleged unauthorised discussions with Arsenal's Ashley Cole, both Mourinho and Cole, along with the Chelsea board, were handed hefty fines.
Controversy aside, Mourinho's self-confidence, coupled with a large transfer kitty saw his side claim a second successive Barclays Premiership trophy in 05/06. However, success in the FA Cup and, more to the point, the Champions' League still eluded Mourinho as he watched his side crash out in the semi-finals and second round of the competitions respectivly.
Trouble again followed as the Portuguese boss called Arsene Wenger a "voyeur" and the Blues didn't always look the impenetrable force they had been in 04/05, losing to Manchester United, Middlesbrough and Fulham.
The summer captures of Andriy Shevchenko and Michael Ballack bode well for Mourinho's already talented team, but the new additions failed to settle in leading to much criticism of Mourinho from both the press and - allegedly - club owner Roman Abramovich.
Indeed, the 2006/07 season was a mixed one by Mourinho's high standards. On the one hand, he watched his side claim the Carling and FA Cups, beating Arsenal and Manchester United in the finals, but his team also relinquished the Premier League title to their Mancunian rivals and, just as in 2005, fell to defeat in the Champions' League semi-finals to Liverpool.
2007/08 started indifferently for Chelsea, with Mourinho under pressure to deliver style as well as substance, and after a defeat to Aston Villa, a draw against Blackburn and a draw against Rosenborg, he left the club in shock fashion in September 2007.
FC Porto
2003-04 Portuguese League Champions
UEFA Champions League Winners
2002-03 UEFA Cup Winners
Portuguese Cup Winners
Portuguese League Champions
Jose Mourinho - We Love You !
Roman is wrecking Chelsea
KEN BATES has blasted Roman Abramovich for ripping off Chelsea's fans and destroying the club he built.
Bates enjoyed 22 years in charge at Stamford Bridge before selling up to Abramovich in 2003.
But the Leeds chairman admits the Blues are no longer anything like the outfit he saved from going out of business in 1982.
And he fears they will never deliver the kind of football Abramovich craves.
Bates said: "When Roman Abramovich came in he knew nothing about football, he's more interested in making money.
"They haven't treated the supporters very well. They've jacked up the prices so much they've alienated the real fans.
"Fans want to see good football. For the prices Chelsea charge you want the type of football Real Madrid, Barcelona or Arsenal play."
Bates also believes Abramovich has made a mistake by sacking Jose Mourinho.
He added: "If you appoint football men you've got to let them get on with it.
"I was never a fan of Mourinho personally but you can't deny he gets results.
"The difference with Arsenal is the board have left Arsene Wenger to get on with it. I am an admirer of Wenger."
Altough success was limited under Bates, Chelsea fans enjoyed a great era with Glenn Hoddle, Ruud Gullit and Gianluca Vialli ushering in their brand of sexy football.
Dan Petrescu, Roberto Di Matteo and Gianfranco Zola helped the Blues win the FA Cup, the League Cup and the European Cup Winners' Cup under Vialli's leadership.
The Italian's achievements were eclipsed by Mourinho's yet Bates agrees with the critics who claim the Portuguese coach failed to deliver attractive football.
He said: "We had sexy football when I was there — but all those players got the boot, they've all gone."
Bates enjoyed 22 years in charge at Stamford Bridge before selling up to Abramovich in 2003.
But the Leeds chairman admits the Blues are no longer anything like the outfit he saved from going out of business in 1982.
And he fears they will never deliver the kind of football Abramovich craves.
Bates said: "When Roman Abramovich came in he knew nothing about football, he's more interested in making money.
"They haven't treated the supporters very well. They've jacked up the prices so much they've alienated the real fans.
"Fans want to see good football. For the prices Chelsea charge you want the type of football Real Madrid, Barcelona or Arsenal play."
Bates also believes Abramovich has made a mistake by sacking Jose Mourinho.
He added: "If you appoint football men you've got to let them get on with it.
"I was never a fan of Mourinho personally but you can't deny he gets results.
"The difference with Arsenal is the board have left Arsene Wenger to get on with it. I am an admirer of Wenger."
Altough success was limited under Bates, Chelsea fans enjoyed a great era with Glenn Hoddle, Ruud Gullit and Gianluca Vialli ushering in their brand of sexy football.
Dan Petrescu, Roberto Di Matteo and Gianfranco Zola helped the Blues win the FA Cup, the League Cup and the European Cup Winners' Cup under Vialli's leadership.
The Italian's achievements were eclipsed by Mourinho's yet Bates agrees with the critics who claim the Portuguese coach failed to deliver attractive football.
He said: "We had sexy football when I was there — but all those players got the boot, they've all gone."
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