Jose Mourinho took over as Chelsea’s new manager on Wednesday and promised swift changes after being given a three-year contract to succeed Claudio Ranieri.
The 41-year-old Portuguese guided FC Porto to the Champions League title last week. He had been linked to Chelsea since England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson renewed his contract two months ago with the national team.
Mourinho, who will become the game’s highest paid coach with a salary reported at £5-million pounds, promised to take charge and rein in the club’s millionaire players.
”I’m sorry I’m a bit arrogant, but we have a top manager,” Mourinho said of himself after being introduced at a Stamford Bridge news conference.
Although Russian billionaire owner Roman Abramovich spent about £120-million on new players after buying the club last summer, Mourinho promised to clean house after the club failed to win any titles.
He said he will trim his squad to 21 players and two goalkeepers. He declined to give names, but striker Deco, defender Paulo Ferreira and midfielder Costinha seem likely to move to the club from Porto.
”I hate to work with big squads,” Mourinho said. ”Players don’t win trophies, squads win trophies.”
Mourinho said he was drawn to Chelsea because of the ”pressure, the big players and the urgent ambition of this club”.
”I think it is a big challenge for me because of the country, because of the power that football has in this country, because of the quality of every club in the Premiership,” he said.
”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.”
Mourinho led FC Porto to the Champions League a year after winning the Uefa Cup — Europe’s two biggest club prizes. Porto also had success domestically, winning the league in his first full season in 2002/03 and defending the title.
”Over the last two years I’ve had the taste as a manager to feel the biggest success you can achieve, and I want to keep this taste,” Mourinho said. ”I don’t want to lose it. I don’t want to arrive in 2010 or 2012 and have the same titles. I want more.”
Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon said hiring Mourinho was about ”building on the foundations we have established at the club”.
”We’re convinced he [Mourinho] can take us to the next level both in England and in Europe.”
During Ranieri’s tenure, Chelsea finished sixth, sixth, fourth and second. The Blues reached the semifinals of the Champions League for the first time and were 11 points behind unbeaten Arsenal this season.
It was Chelsea’s best league finish in almost 50 years. But despite the success, Abramovich and Kenyon rated the season a failure.
As Mourinho was being introduced, Ranieri was reported the number-one choice to succeed Rafa Benitez at Spanish club Valencia. Benitez is thought to be in line to take over at Liverpool for fired Frenchman Gerard Houllier.
Kenyon said Chelsea could honour the three years remaining on Ranieri’s contract, which could cost the Blues £6-million.
Mourinho never played soccer professionally, but he’s well known in England.
His first high-profile job came when he served as a translator under legendary English manager Bobby Robson at Sporting Lisbon in 1992. Mourinho soon became involved in training, and he joined Robson at Porto a year later. Stints as an assistant at Barcelona — under Robson and Dutchman Louis van Gaal — followed.
Mourinho took over at Benfica in 2000 but only lasted nine games because of a dispute with management.
He’s regarded as a solid tactician and motivator, although detractors call him cold and arrogant — accusations he makes little attempt to dispel.
Mourinho’s father, Felix, is a former Portugal goalie.
Asked about his goals at Chelsea, he replied: ”The biggest ambition I have is to win the first Premiership match on August 14.”
And after that?
”My second ambition is to win the second Premier League match,” he said. — Sapa-AP