Break with Blues hits Umbro

SHARES in the sportswear firm, Umbro, fell sharply after Chelsea yesterday ended a sponsorship deal with the company five years earlier than planned.

Umbro said the ending of the Chelsea contract in June 2006 would cut its pre-tax profit for this year by up to £2m. Neither side gave a reason why the lucrative deal to supply playing and training kit and sell and distribute replica products ended.

Sales of Chelsea-branded Umbro products came to £8.2m - or 6.1% of the company’s British turnover - in 2004. However, the company, which listed on the London Stock Exchange last May, said Chelsea would pay £24.5m as compensation next June.

Peter Kenyon, Chelsea’s chief executive, said: “Umbro have made a major contribution to the Chelsea of today. However, we believe this decision will help us achieve our strategic long term goals in the future.”

Meanwhile Portsmouth coach Joe Jordan believes Jose Mourinho has jumped the gun if he thinks Chelsea can practically take possession of Arsenal’s Premiership title this weekend.

Ten points clear at the top, Mourinho claims another slip by Arsenal and Manchester United, coupled with a Stamford Bridge victory over Pompey, will virtually hand him the crown.

However, Jordan is backing his decimated side, who have won only one of their last eight league games, to pull off a shock result tomorrow.

“It is not flattering to one of the most competitive competitions in the world to say it’s virtually over with 15 games still to go. I just don’t see it. Even for it to be talked about seems a bit premature.

“Arsenal are still a smashing team and United are on a roll. Anything can happen because 15 games to go means there are a lot of points to play for.”

Juventus have craftily registered Adrian Mutu with Livorno to bypass limits set on non-EC players, it emerged yesterday.

Mutu had been set to join the Serie A leaders on a five-year contract, but the deal stalled as Juve already have four non-EC players in their ranks.

New rules stipulate a fifth cannot be signed unless the player was already playing in Italy that season. Juve will now sign the Romania international from Livorno when the player’s case against Chelsea for unfair dismissal is heard next week and international clearance comes through.