Saturday, May 07, 2005


Mourinho Champion Posted by Hello

Mourinho Posted by Hello

Chelsea Champion Posted by Hello

Mourinho reveals Maka penalty secretSaturday

After a long, long season and an equally long time celebrating Chelsea’s first League title in fifty years, jubilant Chelsea manager, José Mourinho shared his feelings.

“I’m happy, I’m tired, I’d like to go for a holiday. I’m proud. I’m happy for myself, the players and fans and everyone associated with Chelsea. I have a lot of feelings at the same time.

“But we did it.”

He continued saying that maybe his team’s success had surpassed the expectations of even those within the club.

“I know that a lot of people didn’t believe in our first season we could do it.”

Mourinho will not be sitting back on his laurels though.

“My nature is not to be happy with what we did. We want more. This is the beginning of a process, not the end. This is my first season and I have five more years of a contract. I want to win more for me and more for Chelsea. The players have a good taste and want more.”

Apart from his Championship winning team, Mourinho had the players’ families and all his backroom staff assembled together on the pitch to join in the celebrations. And in true Mourinho fashion, he warned them:

“I told them to enjoy today because tomorrow is another day.”

This is the third consecutive season that Mourinho has won a league title and he revealed the moment when he first believed that he would be bringing the title to Stamford Bridge was when the Blues beat West Brom away.

“That day Arsenal drew at home and we were top for the first time. After that, we never left the first position. Week after week, you get the feeling that you are strong, tactically and mentally.

“But the game where we celebrated for the first time, not because we had won the title but because we knew it would very difficult to take us from here, was in the bus after we beat Tottenham at White Hart Lane. Arsenal played after us and lost, in Bolton, I think.

“From that moment, we believed inside it was very difficult for us to lose.”

The afternoon’s game almost paled into insignificance following the lengthy celebrations but the decision to allow Claude Makelele to take the stoppage time penalty with the game scoreless was definitely not part of the Mourinho masterplan.

“At half-time, I told them they were not playing bad but were playing without ambition. I told them to try to win. I put up diagrams in the dressing room,” Mourinho explained.

“Penalties: Frank Lampard. But if it’s a penalty in the 90th minute with the score 2-0, then Makelele. So when the penalty comes everybody thinks what do we do?”

Whilst it may not have been in Mourinho’s thoughts for Makelele to take a penalty, the Frenchman clearly had other ideas.

“Makelele was practising penalties yesterday after training,” the Premier League-winning manager revealed, cringing, “and he missed two out of two!”

CHELSEAFC

Wednesday, May 04, 2005

New Blues deal for Mourinho

Jose Mourinho has put UEFA Champions League heartache behind him by agreeing terms on a bumper new deal with Chelsea.
The Portuguese tactician justified Roman Abramovich's massive investment by delivering the Premiership title and Carling Cup this term and The Blues have rewarded him with a lucrative new contract.
Chelsea bowed out of the Champions League in agonising fashion to Liverpool on Tuesday, dashing hopes of a momentous treble, but Mourinho has brushed aside the upset by agreeing a five-year deal.
It would appear that all the unrest over the troubles at Barcelona have been smoothed over - with the Portuguese chief committing his future to the club until 2010.
Mourinho was rumoured to be upset that The Blues failed to fully support him over the trouble in the tunnel at half time of the Camp Nou clash and was even said to be considering his future at the club.
However, he was convinced by club officials that he had their full support and this has prompted him to agree a five-year deal - which will replace the agreement he signed when he joined the club from Porto last year.
"This is great news for everybody concerned," Blues chief executive Peter Kenyon told the club's website. "Both the club and Jose share a long-term vision for the future, that was clear from the moment we first met.
"We talked then about a 10-year plan for Chelsea and Jose wanted to be an integral part of building that. The outstanding success of the team this season is a great platform for that building process.
"As soon as the Carling Cup was won talks over a new deal began as it was apparent to all sides that a longer commitment was the way forward.
"This deal demonstrates Jose's commitment to Chelsea and also our certainty that he is the best manager to take the club into a new, exciting and successful era."
Mourinho is pleased to be committing his future to Chelsea and admits he wants to be part of the club's long-term vision.
"I am delighted to be signing this new contract," he said. "My heart is with Chelsea and the fantastic group of players I have. They have done a great job this season.
"But the vision of the owner and the board for the future of Chelsea is also one I want to be part of. I am totally behind this project and their support in achieving it means Chelsea is the place where I will be happiest in my work.
"I cannot imagine another club or situation where I would be happier."

SKY

Mourinho extends Chelsea contract

Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho has signed a new five-year contract with the club.
The 42-year-old, who signed an initial three-year deal last summer, has now pledged to stay until 2010.
The Portuguese has been rewarded for a superb first season at Stamford Bridge during which the Blues won the Carling Cup and the Premiership title.
On Tuesday, Chelsea's hopes of a treble ended when they were beaten 1-0 in the Champions League semi-final by English rivals Liverpool.
Mourinho arrived at Stamford Bridge after leading unfancied Porto to the Champions League title last season.

BBC

Monday, May 02, 2005


Football - Chelsea Training - Anfield - 2/5/05
Anfield Train Posted by Hello

José Mourinho Anfield Press Conference

José Mourinho told a packed Anfield press conference that he expects Chelsea to go through to the UEFA Champions League Final here against Liverpool tomorrow, Wednesday.

He dismissed ideas that preparing for the game might have been difficult following winning the Championship on Saturday.

“Easy. It’s a big game, it’s easy to concentrate on it. It’s the best way to forget the Premiership and celebrations, to have such a big game to prepare for.

“They (the players) are very confident, not just because we won the Premiership but because of what we are doing all over the season. The result at home was a good result. It’s not a result where you can come tomorrow and sit back defending a 2 or 3-0 victory, but it’s a result where you can come and play a game, try and get the victory or a draw.

“I think the group deserved to celebrate the Premiership in a different way to how we did because it was one hour’s celebrations and that’s it, no wives, no families, no kids, and it was three days in a hotel preparing for this game.”

He dismissed the idea too that Chelsea are under pressure.

“I think the pressure is on them. I think we go back to London heroes. My players independent of the result tomorrow will go to Stamford Bridge next Saturday for the celebration as heroes. And I can imagine Anfield Road tomorrow if they lose, so I think the pressure is on them.

“It’s about ambition. The players want to win and want to keep winning. They have the Carling Cup, they have the Premiership, but they want more for their career and that’s why the future is good.”

He accepted that Anfield could produce a special and intimidating atmosphere, but believed that his players would thrive on it.

“I have to agree that in my first year in England I saw some fantastic atmospheres, but for me Portsmouth, Anfield and Old Trafford are special places to play football. It’s good to come here and play, enjoy the atmosphere. Of course the atmosphere is against you, in favour of the home team, but you have to forget and play. I think it’s positive.”

On Damien Duff and Arjen Robben he was tentative about both their fitness. He expanded his thoughts on Robben.

“It’s a very difficult moment for him because he wants to help, he wants to play, he wants to help the team arrive into an important moment, and now in the moment of decisions he was never involved. He did not play the Carling Cup Final, he did not play at Bolton, and now maybe doesn’t play tomorrow. But he is ready to risk a little bit, and may play below top quality to help. He is always in my plans.”

He felt the game itself will not be dissimilar to the one at Stamford Bridge.

“I think Rafa is a great manager and will try to win the game but knows too much offensive will be a problem, so it will be a game with balance.”

Asked whether a defeat would ruin the Championship win or mean Chelsea would go home depressed when the team should be going home triumphant, he countered: "I think it’s a better feeling than Chelsea have had in the last 49 years. When we left London to go north we left with two objectives, to win the Premiership and to go to the Champions League Final. We did one, and now we are trying to do the other.”

And on the question of what progressing to his third successive European final would mean to him, he again countered the direction of the question.

“I am not the man the press think I am. I think only the players know who I am. I would love to do it more for them than for myself. Winning the Champions League is special, and because my group is special, my players are special, I would love to see them do that. I would rather do it for them than for me.”

Sunday, May 01, 2005


Champion Posted by Hello

The Best Posted by Hello

Mourinho Champion Posted by Hello

Mourinho Champion Posted by Hello

Saturday, April 30, 2005

Mourinho works magic for Chelsea

Wherever Jose Mourinho goes, success just as surely follows.
After capturing the UEFA Cup, Champions League, back-to-back league titles and a Portuguese Cup with Porto, the coaching genius has won the English Premiership at his first attempt with Chelsea.
With the English League Cup already in the bag, success in the Champions League would make it eight titles in three seasons.
First, Chelsea must overcome the challenge of fellow Premiership side Liverpool in the second leg of their Champions League semifinal at Anfield on Tuesday. The first leg ended goalless.
Chelsea closed out the their first English title in 50 years with three games to spare on Saturday by winning 2-0 at Bolton Wanderers.
Mourinho knows how much it means to Chelsea's long suffering fans who haven't seen their team win the league championship for half a century.
"To win the championship in the first time in 50 years would be big history. In another 50 years' time, nobody will forget the players, the manager or the staff who did it," he said.
"It's fantastic when you think about Chelsea Football Club in terms of its future. Winning the Premiership and reaching the Champions League semifinals for a second consecutive season, it's all going in the direction of success."
Captain John Terry believes the Mourinho factor could bring the European crown to Stamford Bridge for the first time.
"Winning the Champions League again would be very special for the manager," said Terry who was voted player of the year by his peers, the Professional Footballers' Association.
"It would be great for him to win it in consecutive seasons after doing so well at Porto. We've got a long way to go but we've got a chance. If anyone can do it, it's our manager."
Despite these successes, Mourinho has his critics.
Chelsea's rivals, notably Arsenal and Manchester United, say that the Blues don't set out to entertain and tend to grind out results by keeping possession as much as possible.
Just one loss and 13 goals conceded in 34 league games tend to back that up.
In Arjen Robben and Joe Cole, the Blues have some eyecatching dribblers. But the team's success has been built on Terry's rock-solid defending, Frank Lampard's vision and sharp-shooting and Claude Makelele's ability to provide a firm barrier in front of his defense.
On the bench, Mourinho tends to sit quietly and studiously. But he created a storm during Chelsea's Champions League run when he accused Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard of colluding with referee Anders Frisk at half-time of their second-round game.
Hounded by Chelsea fans, Frisk retired from the game while Mourinho, found guilty of improper conduct, was banned from the bench by UEFA for the two quarterfinal games against Bayern Munich.
In what the media interpreted as retaliation, he was thought to be behind a series of farcical news conferences in which backup fitness coaches were sent to give interviews along with a player, Mikael Forssell, who hadn't even played for the Blues all season.

CNN

José Mourinho crowned champion

Jose hails 'special players'

Two second half goals from Frank Lampard gave Chelsea the win they needed to secure their first championship in 50 years.
Mourinho was delighted to land the title and praised his players for making the dream come true and hinted that he would like to extend his stay at Stamford Bridge.
"This group is really special - that's why I want to stay with them for the maximum time, maybe for longer than the contract I have," said Mourinho.
"The players deserve this, so do the fans, Roman Abramovich and Peter Kenyon.
"Nobody speaking with fairness and sense can say we don't deserve this title.
"But the players deserve this more than anybody - and I'm very happy for the fans.
"It's not easy. The way we are champions and it was the same story this weekend.
"Football is crazy sometimes. We knew a few months ago we had a lead of some distance but anything is possible - so only now is the moment we really feel we are champions.
"My players have talent, ambition and desire and from July we felt something special.
"This game was the perfect game to be champions because Bolton have a difficult style of play and we had to adapt - and we did. We fought like lions."

SKY

Mourinho reaction to draw with Liverpool Posted by Hello

Mourinho sees history repeating

Following the goalless draw with Liverpool, José Mourinho was extremely confident of his team progressing to the Champions League Final.

“It’s a very good result,” he stated positively. “Not the result we fought for, we tried to win the game but in the Champions League semi-final, it’s a good result.”

A score draw at Anfield next Tuesday will take the Blues to the Final in Istanbul. Mourinho feels that the pressure will therefore be on his opponents to win that match.

“There’s more pressure for them and less for us,” Mourinho commented. “99.9% of Liverpool fans think they’re already in the Final and they aren’t. It’s two legs and next week’s result will decide which team will be in the Final.

“I like the situation very much. I think we can score goals. It’s different for them, it’s one thing to play for this 0-0 and another to look for a result.”

The Chelsea manager compared the way the result is poised to last season when he won the trophy with Porto.

“We drew 0-0 with Coruña at home and beat them away in the semi-final. Liverpool lost Xabi Alonso in the last minute [now suspended after booking] and Coruña lost Mauro Silva in the last minute. There’s a lot of similar things.”

Mourinho, who had angered the Liverpool fans at the Carling Cup Final in Cardiff, has no worries about the atmosphere at Anfield next week.

“They can say what they like to me,” he said, moving on to talk about his team. “When you are a top player you enjoy this kind of atmosphere,” he added, expressing a wish for “a good referee who doesn’t feel this pressure.”

Mourinho also mentioned that Damien Duff, out of the first leg with a hamstring injury, should be fit for the return leg, although he wasn’t so confident about Arjen Robben’s fitness.

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez was cautiously optimistic that Didi Hamann could return next week.



by Gill Lester

CHELSEAFC

Friday, April 29, 2005


ChelseavLiverpool_(27/04/05)
 Posted by Hello

ChelseavLiverpool_(27/04/05)
 Posted by Hello

Wednesday, April 27, 2005


ChelseavFulham_23/04/05 Posted by Hello