English torture…
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Mourinho makes shock Chelsea exit
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Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho has stunned the world of football by leaving Stamford Bridge by mutual consent. The decision comes after the club held a crisis meeting to discuss the indifferent start to the new season. Mourinho, 44, joined Chelsea in June 2004 and led them to the Premiership title in each of his first two seasons. But his relationship with Blues owner Roman Abramovich grew increasingly troubled and he quit despite having three years left on his contract.
Former Israel coach and Chelsea’s director of football Avram Grant will take over from Mourinho, whose compensation package is still being agreed.
BBC Radio 5live football correspondent Jonathan Legard understands Mourinho texted senior players, including skipper John Terry, to tell them he was leaving. Meanwhile, Peter Kenyon, the club’s chief executive, Bruce Buck, the chairman, and Abramovich’s key aide, Eugene Tenenbaum, were called to an emergency meeting at Stamford Bridge last night to discuss the emerging crisis. A statement on the Chelsea website confirmed: "Chelsea Football Club and Jose Mourinho have agreed to part company today (Thursday) by mutual consent."
Many of Chelsea’s staff and players had been enjoying a relaxing evening at a Fulham Broadway cinema last night as they watched a screening of "Blue Revolution" – a new documentary about the Abramovich years. But senior players such as Terry and Frank Lampard were absent and the remainder, except a reluctant Shaun Wright-Phillips, refused to talk to the media. Mourinho also attended the evening but ignored the waiting media and looked decidedly glum. The Portuguese made a massive impact at Chelsea after joining them from Porto, whom he guided to Champions League glory in 2004. Last season, the Blues finished runners-up to Manchester United but won both the FA Cup and Carling Cup, a trophy they had also collected in 2005. Mourinho’s achievements also saw him voted as Premiership manager of the year in 2005 and 2006.
However, the Champions League trophy eluded the club and this season’s campaign started with Tuesday’s shock 1-1 draw at home to Norwegian side Rosenborg in front of a crowd of just 24,973. It was their third successive game without a win following a 2-0 defeat at Aston Villa and a goalless draw with Blackburn in the Premier League. Those results have left Chelsea fifth in the table – two points behind leaders Arsenal and with a visit to Manchester United to come on Sunday. The BBC understands the impasse between Mourinho and Abramovich came to a head after their 2-0 defeat to Aston Villa earlier this month. Mourinho has been at loggerheads with the Russian since their disagreement over the lack of funds to sign players during last January’s transfer window. Mourinho’s reluctance to play Ukraine international Andriy Shevchenko, brought in by Abramovich at a cost of £31m, and the Russian billionaire’s desire to bring in Grant from Portsmouth to work with the misfiring striker only served to heighten the tension.
Grant was recruited in the summer as director of football and Mourinho is understood to have simmered ever since. Former Chelsea player Pat Nevin says that behind the scenes movements were key to Mourinho’s departure. "He’s a very individual man and he thinks he should be the power at the club," Nevin told 5live. "If you put someone of that ego, and I say that in a likeable way, in charge and then you tell him you’re not quite in charge, then I think it was a recipe for disaster." Radio 5live football correspondent Legard agreed Mourinho’s relationship with Abramovich would break down at some point. "It suited both parties that he went," said Legard. "They’ve had an uneasy relationship, to put it mildly. "One: the board, Roman Abramovich and the directors were frustrated by the results this season and also the style of play. They wanted stylish football. They wanted football which appealed to the world and they weren’t getting it.
"Two: Jose Mourinho was frustrated by the interference. He could not do the job how he wanted." BBC sport editor Mihir Bose added: "It’s clear this relationship has been breaking up for a long time." Former England manager Graham Taylor believes the beginning of the end came when Michael Ballack and Shevchenko were brought in, reportedly against Mourinho’s wishes. Taylor told 5Live: "Once you take away the authority the manager has in signing players, you’re on a slippery slope. "What I would say about Mourinho is his record is with underachieving players and when Shevchenko and Ballack came in, it disturbed the balance. "They’ve never looked as fluid and that’s because the manager probably did not himself believe that is the way they should be playing." Mourinho still had three years left on his contract, worth about £5m a year, after agreeing a new deal in May 2005.
At the time he signed that deal, he said: "My heart is with Chelsea and the fantastic group of players that I have but the vision of the owner and the board for the future of Chelsea is also one I want to be a part of. "I cannot imagine another situation or another club where I could be happier. I am totally behind this project." But the Chelsea board are thought to have become increasingly unhappy over the team’s form at the beginning of the campaign. Mourinho, who has reportedly been given a £10m pay-off by the Blues, will not be short of job offers. Of the 185 games he was in charge of Chelsea, they won 124, drew 40 and lost 21, a record that includes a 60-match unbeaten run in Premier League matches at Stamford Bridge. The statistics go some way towards justifying Mourinho’s famous description of himself as "a special one", made during his first press conference as Chelsea boss. | ||||||||||||
Report: Mourinho exits Stamford Bridge 
Interview: Former Chelsea midfielder Gavin Peacock 
网易体育9月19日消息 他是斯坦福桥顶礼膜拜的偶像，因为他的真性情，因为他的快意恩仇；他也是对手和媒体攻击的靶子，因为他狂妄自大目中无人，因为他特立独行无所顾忌……
2004-2007的三年间，穆里尼奥留下了无数或令人捧腹、或令人惊诧的妙语，难怪连英国前首先布莱尔都要求手下的大臣去学习他。
1. "God, after god, me."
“上帝，除了上帝，就是我。”
——狂人一入主切尔西，便以“上帝第一 我第二”的姿态开始治军。他甚至给队员们发放了一份“穆里尼奥十诫”手册。
2. "We have top players and, sorry if I’m arrogant, we have a top manager."
“我们拥有最顶尖的球员，在此请原谅我的自大，我们还拥有最顶尖的主教练”
——穆里尼奥在短短几年间赢得了冠军杯、联盟杯并蝉联英超联赛冠军，他不狂还能有谁能狂呢？
3. "If he helped me out in training，we would be bottom of the league."
“如果他(阿布拉莫维奇)在训练场边帮我出主意，我们恐怕会联赛垫底。”
——葡萄牙人讨厌老板干涉球队战术，这恐怕也是他如今下课的重要原因。
4. "Look, we’re not entertaining? I don’t care; we win."
“我们踢得不够有观赏性？我不在乎，反正我们赢球了。”
——穆里尼奥的实用主义哲学让他招致了不少批评，但是赢得冠军才是足球场上的硬道理。
5. "Everybody wants Chelsea to lose a game. When they do they should declare a public holiday."
“所有人都希望切尔西输球，如果我们输了，他们会把那天定为公众的节日。”
——05/06赛季初，切尔西一骑绝尘，穆里尼奥觉得他和他的球队已经成为“公敌”。
6. "I think he is one of these people who is a voyeur. He likes to watch other people. There are some guys who, when they are at home, have a big telescope to see what happens in other families. He speaks, speaks, speaks about Chelsea."
“我想温格是那些偷窥狂之一，他们喜欢观察别人，总是在家用大口径望远镜窥探别家的生活。他(温格)不停地在谈论切尔西。”
——狂人从不给对手“面子”，连温文尔雅的教授也不放过。
7. "The circumstances are difficult for us with the new football rules that we have to face. It is not possible to have a penalty against Manchester United and it is not possible to have penalties in favour of Chelsea. It is not a conspiracy, it is fact. I speak facts. If not, I need big glasses."
“新规则让我们面对的局面更加艰难，曼联的对手从来得不到点球机会，而切尔西却在这上面频频吃亏。这不是阴谋，这是事实。我只是在阐述事实，如果不是，那我需要配一副大号眼镜了。”
——穆里尼奥总喜欢用这种讽刺性的尖刻话语，给裁判和对手施压。
8. "Pressure? What pressure? Pressure is poor people in the world trying to feed their families. There is no pressure in football"
“压力？什么是压力？压力是穷人为填饱一家人的肚子而烦恼。足球毫无压力可言。”
——葡萄牙人的思维方式确实很独特，难怪他总是能在面对压力时获胜。
9. "As we say in Portugal, they brought the bus and they left the bus in front of the goal."
“按照葡萄牙的说法，他们(热刺)带来一辆大巴，并把他放在了球门前。”
——切尔西被托特纳姆热刺0-0逼平后，穆里尼奥幽默地表示。
10. "There are only two ways for me to leave Chelsea. One way is in June 2010 when I finish my contract and if the club doesn’t give me a new one. It is the end of my contract and I am out. The second way is for Chelsea to sack me. The way of the manager leaving the club by deciding to walk away, no chance! I will never do this to Chelsea supporters."
“只有两种方式让我离开切尔西：第一种，2010年6月合同期满而且俱乐部不和我续约；第二种，切尔西解雇我。主教练决定辞职，我决不会这么做！我不会这么对待切尔西球迷。”
——就像当初预言的一样，狂人以第二种方式昂首离开了斯坦福桥。
20/09/2007
eddiedu
Ed's tale of two cities 