Mourinho gives credit to players

CHELSEA COACH Jose Mourinho is ready to step out of the limelight and let his players enjoy the glory of the club’s first title triumph in 50 years.

The Portuguese has been criticised throughout his first campaign in English football but now he is just five points away from securing the Premiership crown. He has also been boosted by the return of fit-again winger Arjen Robben for today’s lunchtime game with Fulham.

Victory over their west London neighbours will set-up a title clincher at Bolton next weekend - unless Arsenal are beaten by Spurs on Monday night.

Chelsea’s players have benefited from Mourinho taking the almost constant flak but the coach says the time is coming for him to disappear while his players make the most of their fantastic achievement.

Mourinho said: “At the end of the season when I hope we become champions it will be time for me to disappear a little bit and a time for the players to be the faces of the success.

“I am very happy when one of my big players tells me I did a good job because our season in terms of the press and rights was very calm and with no problems.

“I was involved almost every day in the press and I was criticised by other managers, players and institutions but at the end of the day what matters is my club and my players. My image is not so important.

“My life in football is about being popular and loved by my own team’s supporters and being hated by the opposition supporters and that’s the way I want to carry on. In Portugal I am loved by Benfica supporters now because they have a chance to win the title as I have left Porto.

“I can make mistakes sometimes. I can analyse situations from the wrong point of view but I always try to do the best for my team.”

Mourinho also hopes that after a season of success that the questions he says were hanging over him on his arrival in England will finally disappear.

He explained: “It was not easy coming to England with a lot of questions. After this month in the Premiership, I think maybe, those questions will disappear a little bit about my quality.

“Next season I hope to improve the team and try and repeat the good season. I want to learn every day and improve.

“When people stop their evolution, one year later they are not so good and five years later maybe they disappear. So I want to do better.”

Meanwhile, the club have become embroiled in another alleged ‘tapping-up’ story over Manchester United’s Rio Ferdinand.

The England centre-half is close to signing a new contract at Old Trafford but Mourinho insisted that he was never a target for the Blues.

He said: “When a club have John Terry, Ricardo Carvalho, William Gallas and Robert Huth, who can believe we are interested in another central defender? I have a great relationship with Peter Kenyon, Roman Abramovich and my board and they wouldn’t do anything without sharing our opinions and what decisions to make.

“We have it very clear in our minds what we want for next season and for the future.

“Rio is an amazing player - you cannot hide that. But this season, John Terry has been the best central defender in England.

“I don’t say he is better than Rio - people can have different opinions. But this season John was the best.”

Mourinho also added that it would be nice to win the title on the pitch instead of Arsenal slipping up against Spurs on Monday.

“Last season with Porto we won the championship in a hotel because the second team lost the game - we finished the night drinking champagne and swimming in the hotel pool.

“We need five points but it is not a drama for us. Every team will make it hard for us because nobody wants to be part of our celebrations when it happens.”