Jose Mourinho was sacked on Thursday by Chelsea hierarchy because of the unhealthy dressing room atmosphere that trailed his last-ditch attacks on his players.
The club’s technical director Michael Emenalo, disclosed on Friday that the Portuguese tactician was expelled from the Stamford Bridge to “protect the interests of the club” and owner Roman Abramovich had to act because of a “palpable discord between manager and players”.
Mourinho was dismissed by the Premier League champions after a poor run of the results left the club a point above the relegation zone, with the 2-1 defeat against Claude Ranieri-led Leicester City on Monday night.
While the board was reportedly divided over whether to pull the plug, the former Nigerian international has now disclosed that Mourinho’s subsequent media attacks on his players after the game eventually made the decision quicker.
“Whilst there is huge sentiment for the individual who has done so much for the club, the fact of the matter remains that Chelsea Football Club is in trouble,” Emenalo said.
“The results are not good, there obviously seemed to be a palpable discord between manager and players and we feel it was time to act,” he added.
Mourinho had in his post-match statement declared that he felt ‘betrayed’ by some players, and later said that some of his players lacked the required passion to star for the club.
Hear him: “Some of them need to rethink the way they live Chelsea, the way they live football, they live their job,’ the Portuguese gaffer said.
“Chelsea is big, football is more than a job, it’s a passion. Every match on the pitch you should live with an unbelievable passion. You shouldn’t waste any minute on the pitch, you should enjoy every minute and you should give absolutely everything”, he added.
By Olisemeka Obeche