The man who guided Chelsea to the Premier League title just seven months ago has been shown the exit by Roman Abramovich. Jos Mourinho has been sacked by Chelsea FC after a horrendous season so far.
The Portuguese’s second spell as the Blues manager has ended after two and a half years at the club, as Chelsea are 16th in the table, one point above the relegation places. Mourinho won the FA Cup in 2007, and the League Cup three times — in 2005, 2007 and 2015.
“Chelsea Football Club and Jose Mourinho have today parted company by mutual consent,” said the club’s representatives in a statement on its official website.
Problems on the pitch
Mourinho said after the defeat at Leicester, that his players “betrayed” him by not playing to their full potential. This has been seen by many as the worst title defence in league history, and Chelsea FC have not really looked likely to gain any sort of momentum to turn their season around.
“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 official statement further said.
Although Chelsea finished on top of their group to qualify to the knockout stage of the Champions League, they have drawn PSG in the round of 16 and it looks highly unlikely they will go all the way. As of now, they hardly look like a team that can finish in the top four.
Problems off the pitch
The 52-year-old’s sacking is not just down to footballing terms. Mourinho has also been involved in squabbles off the pitch that have led to quite a hue and cry.
The 2-2 draw at Swansea was overshadowed by Mourinho’s altercation with team doctor Eva Carneiro. She eventually left on 22nd September, after Mourinho said his medical staff were “naive” for running onto the pitch to treat attacking midfielder Eden Hazard.
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Mourinho also received a suspended stadium ban and a A?50,000 fine for stating that referees were afraid of awarding penalties during the 3-1 home loss to Southampton in October.
A fan favourite
In spite of the dismal results though, Mourinho had the full support of the Stamford Bridge faithful who have not been so kind to other managers in the past. Perhaps recgonising the special connect between Mourinho and the fans, the Chelsea FC statement said that the Portuguese still has good relations with the club, in spite of parting 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,” read the official statement. “His legacy at Stamford Bridge and in England has long been guaranteed and he will always be warmly welcomed back to Stamford Bridge.”