Chelsea FC manager Jose Mourinho lost his sixth league match in just 11 games as the Blues were beaten by Liverpool FC, and reports in the Daily Mirror suggest that the Portuguese could well have overseen his last game at Stamford Bridge.
With every passing week, it seems as though the defending champions — for that is what they still are, if only nominally — cannot possibly get any worse. Yet, incredibly, Chelsea FC seem to sink to new depths, evidently totally incapable of arresting this rapidly unfolding catastrophe that only the most optimistic would label a ‘slump’.
The game against Liverpool FC on Saturday was built up as a ‘do or die’ affair for manager Jos Mourinho and his coaching staff, and having lost 3-1 after another poor display, the only question that now remains is whether owner Roman Abramovich has had enough.
Mourinho on the brink of being sacked – reports
According to reports in English daily newspaper The Daily Mirror, the Special One is on the brink of being sacked by Chelsea FC. The Portuguese and his coaching staff were reportedly aware that they needed to get a positive result against JA?rgen Klopp’s side to survive the axe.
1) Jose Mourinho facing the axe as Roman Abramovich prepares A?9.5million pay-off https://t.co/JXL3fFsZac pic.twitter.com/1HeQsNmF7E
a Mirror Football (@MirrorFootball) October 31, 2015
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Interestingly, the Mirror claim that Abramovich will have to part with A?9.5m — equivalent to approximately one year’s salary — to sack Mourinho, which contradicts earlier reports in the media suggesting that the Russian would have to pay as much as A?30m.
The report also claims that Mourinho could be sacked even before the Blues take on Ukrainian side Dynamo Kyiv at Stamford Bridge in a crucial UEFA Champions League clash on Wednesday.
Paucity of managerial choices will make Abramovich think twice before wielding the axe
Although the monetary aspect of any potential sacking must (and will) be taken into account by the club, the final decision is likely to hinge on the availability of world class managers who could turn the club’s fortunes around. Carlo Ancelotti is currently without a club, and with reports in the media over the past weeks suggesting that he would be open to rejoining Chelsea FC, the Italian is likely to be the first name on the list.
Bayern Munich manager Pep Guardiola has been evasive thus far when asked about his future, but the two-time Champions League winner is unlikely to join a club that may not participate in Europe’s premier club competition next season. Meanwhile, Diego Simeone’s name has also been floated about, but the Argentine has a top European side at AtlA?tico Madrid. More importantly, it is a young side with a number of burgeoning talents who are some years off their peak.
Quite simply, the Chelsea FC board is unlikely to find a better manager than Jos Mourinho to replace him, and could well take the decision to stick it out until the end of the season before assessing their options for the future.