Jose Mourinho has fuelled speculation that he could be on his way out of Chelsea by refusing to kill off rumours that he could leave the Premiership champions at the end of this season.
Speaking after Chelsea’s 1-1 draw with League Two side Wycombe in the first leg of their League Cup semifinal tie, Mourinho declined an invitation to put an end to the speculation that has been swirling around Stamford Bridge in recent weeks.
Dutchman Guus Hiddink, now in charge of Russia and reportedly close to Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich, has been widely touted as a possible successor to Mourinho, who appears to have an uneasy relationship with the tycoon who has under-written the club’s recent emergence as the dominant force in English football.
Mourinho insisted: ”My position is not important, the importance is Chelsea, not me, and Chelsea’s position is a good position: almost in a League Cup final, last 16 of the Champions League, still in the FA Cup and second in the Premiership.
”I think Chelsea is in a good position and that is the way I work all my career — I am not important, the club is important.
”In this moment I only think about the weekend game on Saturday, about the training I have. I repeat, my future is not important, what is important is Chelsea.”
Although Chelsea remain overwhelming favourites to advance to a final against either Arsenal or Tottenham, Wednesday night’s draw represented another stunning result for Paul Lambert’s side, who had already eliminated Premiership clubs Charlton and Fulham.
”I said after the Charlton game it was an extraordinary effort and that doubles it,” said Lambert, who saw his side fall behind to Wayne Bridge’s first-half goal before Jermaine Easter snatched an equaliser 13 minutes from time.
”No doubt about it, we were extremely brilliant right from the start,” the Wycombe boss added. ”We lost a goal and came back against a world class side
”Their goal took a bit of stuffing out of us but we saw it through to half-time and in the second half I thought we were excellent.”
Lambert does not expect an upset at Stamford Bridge in two weeks time but added: ”Anything is possible in football. It is going to be ten times harder than it was in tonight’s [Wednesday] game but the great thing is that we have kept the tie alive and it is a terrific result for everyone concerned.”
Mourinho insisted he was unperturbed by the sight of his injury and suspension-affected side being held by a side 71 places below his in the English football hierarchy.
”I prefer to win than draw but a draw in a semifinal over two legs is a draw,” he insisted. ”We have to decide things at home. For me, in a cup semifinal there is no first, second or third division, every team is from the same competition, so I think it is a good result away from home.” — Sapa-AFP