UK: SOCCER - Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho says he will see out his contract or be sacked - he will not walk from his club

Record ID: 334810

  • Title: UK: SOCCER - Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho says he will see out his contract or be sacked - he will not walk from his club
  • Date: 24th February 2007
  • Summary: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (FEBRUARY 23, 2007) (REUTERS) CHELSEA MANAGER JOSE MOURINHO WALKS IN FOR NEWS CONFERENCE PHOTOGRAPHERS (SOUNDBITE)(ENGLISH) JOSE MOURINHO SAYS The only thing I can tell you is there are only two ways for me to leave Chelsea. One way is in June 2010 I finish my contract. If the club doesn't give me a new one it is the end of my contract and I am out. And the second way is for Chelsea to sack me. Because there is not a third way. The way of "the manager decides to leave and walk away" - there is no chance. I will never do this to Chelsea supporters, there is no chance. REPORTERS (SOUNDBITE)(ENGLISH) JOSE MOURINHO SAYS Fitness reports; Ashley Cole is ready, (Arjen) Robben looks ready too, John Terry is out, Joe Cole and Khalid Boulahrouz, they are also out. REPORTERS (SOUNDBITE)(ENGLISH) JOSE MOURINHO SAYS I agree entirely, that's why I told (said), he never won and he's a great manager, that's what I told. I don't understand the story because we don't agree on many things but on this we agree completely. In Porto I told, to win the Champions League doesn't make you a great manager. A great manager can be a great manager without winning the Champions League. And because I won it once I feel very very privileged so that's what I told. We agree completely, we don't agree in many things but this time we are in completely the same opinion. REPORTERS (SOUNDBITE)(ENGLISH) JOSE MOURINHO SAYS When you are for such a long time in the club and everything is in place and when the train goes non-stop, year after year, you can create conditions if you are a good manager like he is , you can create conditions for that so I think their scouting of young players must be good especially abroad. They bring all these young good talent and he is a good coach, he works well with the young boys and the young boys become good players so I think he has a lot of young players. REPORTERS (SOUNDBITE)(ENGLISH) JOSE MOURINHO SAYS He has a lot of options. It's easy. You know for me it was difficult. I had to change the system. I had to play a central defender. I have to bring Robben to play 4-3-3. Robben is injured, Robben's out. I have to go back for 4-4-2. You know it is rich. I think you learn with difficult moments. Easy life sometimes makes you relax and stop your evolution and so on. and I think problems are not to cry. Problems are to be solved. Every problem has a solution and we enjoy the difficult situations. PHOTOGRAPHERS
  • Embargoed: 11th March 2007 12:00
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  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA2XCZ9X0AEBA04P70FQAVQPZG2
  • Story Text: Chelsea manager Mourinho has been speaking about Chelsea and Arsenal's Arsene Wenger before their English League Cup final on Sunday. Jose Mourinho will stay at Chelsea next season unless he is sacked, the Portuguese coach said on Friday (February 23).
    Speaking after a training session for Sunday's League Cup final against Arsenal, Mourinho scotched rumours that have circulated since the new year that he might resign.
    "I will never do this to Chelsea supporters, there is no chance," he said.
    "There are two ways for me to leave Chelsea, one is in June 2010 at the end of my contract, the second way is for Chelsea to sack me."
    The 44-year-old manager was in relaxed mood, suggesting much publicised tensions between his coaching staff, owner Roman Abramovich and the Chelsea board over players he wanted to sign and roles within the hierarchy, had eased.
    Chairman Bruce Buck said last week he wanted the outspoken Portuguese to stay.
    Mourinho said Chelsea's injury woes, including long periods without inspirational captain John Terry, had made his job tougher than in the last two seasons when they won the Premier League.
    But, paradoxically, he found the situation had been in some ways more rewarding.
    "It's enjoyable," he said, adding that after Terry twisted his ankle in the Champions League against Porto on Wednesday, he had to think fast and change tactics completely. "You know for me it was difficult. I had to change the system. I had to play a central defender. I have to bring Robben to play 4-3-3. Robben is injured, Robben's out. I have to go back for 4-4-2. You know it is rich. I think you learn with difficult moments. Easy life sometimes makes you relax and stop your evolution and so on."
    Terry, who injured his ankle, will not be ready for Sunday's game but will be fit to return next weekend. On Sunday Mourinho will welcome back defender Ashley Cole after a cruciate ligament injury and winger Arjen Robben, who was substituted in Porto with a muscle strain.
    Midfielder Joe Cole (foot) and defender Khalid Boulahrouz (shoulder) are on the long-term injury list.
    Mourinho, who has a history of niggling disagreements with Arsene Wenger, was full of praise for his Arsenal counterpart on Friday, especially of his ability to bring on the young players who have taken the team to the League Cup final.
    But he added that in Arsenal's case the the "young boys" were also top players.
    He said he agreed with Wenger that winning the Champions League as Mourinho did with Porto, did not make a great manager.
    There were great managers such as the Arsenal coach who had not won that trophy.
    But, with echoes of his famous "special one" declaration on arrival from Porto in 2004, he placed himself alongside Wenger at the top of the game.
    Chelsea are still competing on four fronts: Champions League, Premier League -- chasing Manchester United, FA Cup and League Cup, with Sunday's final the least prestigious.
    But Mourinho said he did not have to motivate himself for the trophy they beat Liverpool to win in 2005.
    "It was the first competition I won in England... It's a great day, for us and for the fans. The stadium is half and half, the atmosphere is great," he said.
    "Silverware is silverware. It does not matter whether you win for the first time or for the 10th time, it's always a great feeling."
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