Mourinho ‘feeling isolated’ as fears grow of summer exit

FEARS are growing at Stamford Bridge that boss Jose Mourinho will leave Chelsea this summer.

Saturday’s 6-1 FA Cup third round victory over Macclesfield kept the Premiership champions in the running for an unprecedented quadruple, but officials are already bracing themselves for life without Mourinho amid claims that his relationship with owner Roman Abramovich and chief executive Peter Kenyon is deteriorating by the week.

Several reports yesterday claimed the Premiership champions have already moved on a successor, with Guus Hiddink, who Abramovich installed as Russia manager last summer, the favourite to succeed Mourinho.

A senior Chelsea source revealed: “Something has got to give. All is not well. Publicly people are putting on a brave and united front but privately there are growing fears this will be Mourinho’s last season.”

Sources believe Mourinho is certain to quit in the summer with both Juventus and Inter Milan offering him an escape route. Mourinho has become frustrated with the behind-the-scenes political battles which have left him feeling isolated. He feels he is being left top carry the can for Chelsea’s slump which has seen them fall six points behind Manchester United at the top of the Premiership.

Critics have pointed to the decision to let both William Gallas and Robert Huth quit in the summer, leaving Chelsea perilously short of cover in the absence of the injured John Terry.

If Chelsea fail to win the Champions League, despite recruiting superstars Andriy Shevchenko, Michael Ballack and Ashley Cole, Mourinho’s future would be uncertain, even though chief executive Peter Kenyon insists that the Portuguese will be in charge next season.

Another report claimed that Chelsea’s winter wobbles have also led to unrest in the champions’ dressing room over the contribution of Michael Ballack.

Mourinho will be without a single central defender for the Carling Cup semi-final with Wycombe on Wednesday.

He said: “If our game against Macclesfield was difficult, against Wycombe it will be even more difficult.”

He scoffed at suggestions that Chelsea are in crisis. “It makes me laugh a lot that people here and in Portugal are talking about this being my ‘darkest moment’,” Mourinho said.

“That means the dark moment of my career is three draws. In second place, in being in the last 16 of the Champions League; then being in the semi-finals of the Carling Cup and the last 32 of the FA Cup.

“Is that so dark? I find it enjoyable. I have now realised that what I have achieved in my career in management means that this is a dark time.

“It doesn't make angry or give me extra motivation — my motivation is always the same. It doesn’t change just because there are critics.”