'Palpable discord': Chelsea sack manager Jose Mourinho
Staring relegation in the face, club's Russian owner Roman Abramovich says enough is enough
Jose Mourinho's “palpable discord” with Chelsea players forced the club to abruptly end his second spell as manager on Thursday with the team languishing just above the relegation zone only seven months after winning the Premier League.
“Chelsea Football Club and Jose Mourinho have today parted company by mutual consent,” the club said on their official Twitter account.
“It was a decision taken to protect the interests of the club,” Chelsea technical director Michael Emenalo said. “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.
“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. The owner is forced to make what was a very tough decision for the good of the club.”
The 52-year-old Portuguese man returned to Stamford Bridge for a second stint in charge in 2013 and last season led them to the title and a League Cup triumph.
Chelsea were beaten 2-1 by surprise leaders Leicester City on Monday, their ninth defeat in 16 league matches.
READ MORE: Where did it all go wrong for Mourinho?
Ahead of this weekend's home game with Sunderland, they have managed only 15 points during their worst start to a season since being relegated in 1978-79.
Media speculation had been mounting about Mourinho's position and it reached a crescendo after Monday's defeat when he accused some of the players of “betraying his work”.
Chelsea Football Club and Jose Mourinho have today parted company by mutual consent
Mourinho won back-to-back titles for Chelsea during his first spell in charge from 2004-07 before falling out of favour with the club's Russian owner Roman Abramovich.
He was welcomed back as a returning hero in 2013 after spells at Inter Milan and Real Madrid and soon delivered a third league title.
However, this season they have already lost the same amount of league matches as they did in the last two campaigns combined, and their hopes of a top-four finish look bleak.
READ MORE: ‘Ashamed’ Jose Mourinho feels betrayed by Chelsea players after latest defeat
Few could have envisaged their spectacular slump and although the fans have remained loyal to him, the defeat at Leicester proved to be his final match in charge.
The season has followed a similar pattern to Mourinho's previous dismissal eight years ago, although he was given a little longer to reverse their fortunes this time.
