Chelsea: Mourinho relationship was untenable

CHELSEA admitted last night that the relationship between Jose Mourinho and the club had “broken down” after the manager left the club by mutual consent.

Director of football Avram Grant and assistant manager Steve Clarke have been put in charge of first-team affairs, with their first job to prepare the team to face Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday.

Mourinho’s relationship with the club had clearly soured beyond the point of being salvaged, and the Blues hierarchy felt it had begun to affect performances.

“Early this morning we announced that Chelsea and Jose Mourinho had agreed to part company by mutual consent,” said a club statement.

“The key phrase here is that there was mutual agreement. Jose did not resign and was not sacked.

“What is clear, though, is we had all reached a point where the relationship between the club and Jose had broken down.

“This was despite attempts over several months by all parties to resolve certain differences.

“The reason the decision has been taken is that we believed the breakdown started to impact on the performance of the team and recent results supported this view. We did not want this to continue or affect the club further.”

But the club added: “Jose has been instrumental in putting Chelsea where it is today, among the leading clubs in European and world football.

“He will always be welcome at Stamford Bridge, whether as the guest of Chelsea or as the manager of another club, and he will be given the reception and respect his position in our history deserves.”

Mourinho is expected to walk away with a £25million (€35m) pay-off from Chelsea.

His backroom staff of Baltemar Brito and Rui Faria, head opposition scout Andre Villas and goalkeeping coach Silvino Louro have also departed.

Now lawyers are in detailed negotiations about a severance package for Mourinho, who still had another three years left on his £5.2m-a-year deal (€7.4m).

It is understood the financial package will include confidentiality clauses that prevent Mourinho from divulging any club secrets.

Mourinho is now being tipped to take over the Portuguese national side,

Mourinho’s emotional farewell at Cobham is understood to have left striker Didier Drogba in tears.

Avram Grant’s appointment will come as no surprise to many of the club’s fans. He has a close relationship with billionaire owner Roman Abramovich and eventually moved to Chelsea from Portsmouth after stiff opposition from Mourinho.

Grant spent his first year in England living in Harry Redknapp’s shadow at Portsmouth but became the go-between and co-ordinator of long-term strategy, reporting to chief executive Peter Kenyon at Stamford Bridge.

The role — which reportedly earned him £800,000 a year — also included a seat on the club’s board.

Grant, who is married to actress Tzofit, certainly knows how to network and also undoubtedly has the ability to charm the most dogmatic of managers.

At Portsmouth, Grant took up the position of technical director. Said Harry Redknapp in 2006: “I’ve found [him] to be very knowledgeable, an absolute gentleman and a nice person to have at the club.”