UNITED KINGDOM: FOOTBALL / SOCCER - Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho leaves club

Chelsea confirmed on Thursday that manager Jose Mourinho has left the club by mutual consent. "Chelsea Football Club and Jose Mourinho have agreed to part company today by mutual consent," a statement posted on the club's Web site (www.chelseafc.com) said. The Portuguese, who took over in 2004 and won consecutive Premier League titles, told senior players that he was leaving, Sky Sports News reported on Thursday. Chelsea have never lost a Premier League match at Stamford Bridge under Mourinho but rumours surfaced last season that he had fallen out with billionaire Russian owner Roman Abramovich. They lost their title to Manchester United last season and have started this season with some lacklustre displays. Their last two Premier League games ended in a defeat at Aston Villa and a 0-0 draw at home to Blackburn Rovers, leaving them fifth in the table. On Monday Mourinho told a news conference that Chelsea's injury hit start to the season would continue with Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard ruled out of their opening Champions League group match B game against Rosenborg Trondheim. "The problem is not four or five or six injuries. The problem is which players they are and the importance of the players for the team. That's the problem. And for example in this moment when you speak about Drogba and Lampard, I don't have here the statistics with me but maybe you are speaking about more than fifty percent of the goals the team scored," said Mourinho. On Tuesday they drew 1-1 with Rosenborg Trondheim in the Champions League in front of just 25,000 fans.

ITN Source | September 21, 2007

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