Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho is set to quit the Premiership champions at the end of the season, according to reports on Friday.
The frustrated Blues boss is reported to have told a close friend that he will leave Stamford Bridge in May, the Sun newspaper reported.
”That’s it. I’m going at the end of the season … I don’t know where yet,” Mourinho is reported to have said.
The 42-year-old Portuguese coach is furious that his plans to strengthen his injury-hit squad have been blocked by the club’s refusal to fund the purchase of new players.
Chelsea’s resources have been stretched to the limit by a combination of suspensions and injuries, most importantly to captain John Terry. These have exacerbated the problems caused by the poor form of major signings Andriy Shevchenko and Michael Ballack.
Mourinho expressed his frustration after their 1-1 draw at League Two Wycombe in the first leg of their League Cup semi-final on Wednesday.
”I have asked for players and it’s not my choice that no one is coming. It’s not my club, I am just a manager,” he said.
”I expect my squad to be the same at the end of the transfer window as it was at the start.”
A rift is reported to have opened up between Mourinho and Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich and the club’s chief executive Peter Kenyon, and there has been suggestions that the Russian tycoon will seek to bring Dutchman Guus Hiddink, currently in charge of Russia, to London at the end of this season if Mourinho fails to deliver victory in the Champions League.
Italian side Inter Milan and Spanish giants Real Madrid are both reported to be interested in signing Mourinho, who arrived in London in June 2004 after leading FC Porto in his native Portugal to the Champions League title.
He helped the English side win their first top-flight domestic title in 50 years in 2005, a trophy they defended last season. — AFP
