12.1.07

Mourinho to quit Chelsea

Mourinho to quit Chelsea

By IAN McGARRY
January 12, 2007

COMMENT ON THIS STORY

JOSE MOURINHO has decided to quit Chelsea.
The fed-up Blues boss told a close pal yesterday that he will walk out in May.
Mourinho said: "That’s it. I’m going at the end of the season . . . I don’t know where yet."
He is sick of being undermined at Stamford Bridge — and is angry at the way Frank Arnesen, the club’s chief scout, has taken on a bigger role than he was promised.
Arnesen has now been put in charge of transfers and Mourinho blames him for selling William Gallas to Arsenal.
Mourinho will have no trouble in finding a club with Inter Milan favourites to land him and Real Madrid a close second. Former Porto player Cesar Peixoto, now at Espanol, told reporters in Barcelona: "I know Mourinho is looking for a house in Milan."
Reports in Spain last night confirmed the conversation between Mourinho and his pal.
Chelsea know their manager is unhappy and have already targeted replacements.
Russia coach Guus Hiddink has been widely linked with the club but may feel the challenge too great at the age of 60.
Chelsea like the look of ex-Blues star Didier Deschamps, now at Juventus after success at Monaco, and Seville manager Juande Ramos, who won the UEFA Cup last season.
Angry Mourinho expressed his frustration after the 1-1 Carling Cup semi-final draw at Wycombe on Wednesday.
He said: "I have asked for players and it’s not my choice that no one is coming. It’s not my club, I am just a manager.
"I expect my squad to be the same at the end of the transfer window as it was at the start."
SunSport understands Mourinho asked club owner Roman Abramovich to buy a new striker — Valencia’s David Villa — to make up for flop Andriy Shevchenko and was refused.
The editor of Dutch magazine Elf, Jan Herman de Bruijn, published an in-depth interview with Hiddink at the weekend.
He confirmed Arnesen is now in charge of transfers at Stamford Bridge.

posted by paco garcianieto @ 8:39 a. m.