Jose Mourinho has opened up about his sentiments towards Chelsea amid escalating speculation that the club’s executives might be considering a separation from the present manager, Mauricio Pochettino.
In a disheartening defeat, Chelsea succumbed to a 5-0 loss against Arsenal on Tuesday night, with the latter scoring four times after the break.
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This outcome adds to the mounting strain on Pochettino, who sharply criticized his team following the end of the game.
He told reporters: “We conceded two goals and, in this moment, the team gave up. We were not in the game.
“Today, you can use any words to describe our performance. Our standards are not sustained for the bad days.”
Mourinho has emerged as a top candidate for the managerial position at Chelsea should Pochettino be dismissed, potentially marking his third tenure with the team.
Mourinho, who is 61 years old, previously led the Blues from 2004 to 2007, clinching two Premier League titles, two League Cups, and an FA Cup. His leadership solidified Chelsea’s status as a dominant power in English football during Roman Abramovich’s ownership.
In 2013, Mourinho made a comeback to Stamford Bridge and secured his third Premier League title in 2015, along with another League Cup victory.
Following his earlier stints with Chelsea, Mourinho went on to manage two other Premier League teams, Manchester United and Tottenham.
Last year, amidst discussions of Graham Potter’s departure, Mourinho was questioned about the possibility of yet another stint at Stamford Bridge.
Mourinho, who was then in charge of Roma, replied: “If you ask me, do I have somebody that I would love to take over from ‘my Chelsea’, let’s say that, yes I have. But I close my mouth.
In another interview 12 months earlier, he said: “Of course, my English connection is Chelsea, that’s the way I see things, as a Chelsea man after two periods of Chelsea and six years.
“I’ve been at big, big clubs with very good conditions. Chelsea, very good conditions. United, the same. Madrid, the same. Inter, the same.”
And after Chelsea won the Champions League under Thomas Tuchel in 2021, he joked: “I don’t think it’s very difficult to coach at Chelsea because I was champion three times, Carlo Ancelotti was champion, Antonio Conte was champion.
“It cannot be very, very difficult because we won titles there. Chelsea always have great players and great squads and good coaches are happy to work with these clubs and with players who give you a very good opportunity to be successful and win titles.”
