Football
PA Sport 9y

Jose Mourinho says Chelsea 'not going to sack' him, and he isn't leaving

Jose Mourinho has dismissed any parallels between 2007, when he ended his first stint at Chelsea, and now. The Portuguese has insisted that he has the desire and determination to lead the West London side out of their current malaise.

The Blues won the 2014-15 Premier League title at a canter, but have four points from four games and sit eight points behind leaders Manchester City ahead of Saturday's match at Everton, who frustrated Mourinho in his summer pursuit of John Stones.

With the Toffees sticking to England defender Stones, Chelsea had to turn to other players, like the unheralded Papy Djilobodji, prompting speculation Mourinho was unhappy just weeks after signing a four-year contract. Mourinho had a categorical response for those thinking his second spell at Stamford Bridge could unravel and end as quickly as the first.

"Let's be objective. I don't want to leave the club, in any circumstances,'' the Portuguese said. "And the club doesn't want me to leave. I'm not going to walk away. The club is not going to sack me.

"If somebody, anyone, thinks that I walk, or I leave the job, it's somebody that doesn't know. Chelsea fans know me for good and for bad and that's not my profile, to run away from problems, in this case to run away from bad results.''

The similarities to 2007 are startling in some commentators' eyes, but Mourinho then had the desire to work in Italy and Spain, where he had success with Internazionale and Real Madrid. Now the 52-year-old, who returned to Chelsea in June 2013, has only ambitions with the Blues.

He also pointedly suggested that Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich knows it is unlikely he will find a better boss than himself, after experiencing numerous managerial changes in his 12-year tenure.

"When I was here in 2007, I had two things in my mind: go to Spain and go to Italy,'' Mourinho said. "I don't want to go back. I want to stay here. That's enough.

"Mr Abramovich in 2007, in his football life, if you can say that, he knows only two managers: [Claudio] Ranieri and myself. In this moment, he knows, how many? Ten? He knows a lot of them. He knows a lot of them.

"I repeat: I stay until Mr Abramovich wants. A few weeks ago [I had] a contract that expired in two years' time. And he gave me a contract that expires in four years' time.

"We have one problem: We are not getting the results we always expect to get. That's our problem.''

Mourinho, though, is optimistic that positive results are near.

"I'm not happy and I'm happy that I'm not happy,'' he added. "I work harder than ever. I'm optimistic, I trust the players. I repeat, the players trust me.

"It's not such a hard situation because you feel that better results will arrive. We are going to leave this situation, for sure.''

^ Back to Top ^