Mourinho, Terry deny player revolt at Chelsea
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho rejected suggestions there was a player revolt against him and dismissed reports that one player would rather lose than play for him as “dishonest”.
Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas earlier denied reports that he had fallen out with Mourinho and was behind plans to unseat the manager.
“It’s a very sad accusation because you are accusing players, or one player, of dishonesty,” Mourinho told reporters overnight before tomorrow’s Champions League Group G match against Dynamo Kiev at Stamford Bridge.
“If I accuse you of being a dishonest journalist, I think you would be very upset and probably you would take legal action. It is a question for the players not for me.”
Mourinho said he had a “fantastic personal and professional relationship” with his players who were united in their efforts to improve results which have left the Premier League champions 15th in the table with three wins from their opening 11 matches.
Mourinho said he knew why their form had been so bad, but would not elaborate.
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“It’s a combination of factors and some of them I don’t want to touch them, but yes I know,” he said.
“Everything is football-related. We don’t want to blame social or political problems in some corner of the globe.”
Fabregas denied suggestions of a rift with Mourinho, accusing “certain individuals from outside” of trying to destabilise the club and refuting reports that he is leading an alleged dressing-room revolt.
"I would like to clarify that contrary to a few reports form some online websites, I am extremely happy at Chelsea (…)"
"— Cesc Fàbregas Soler (@cesc4official) November 3, 2015"
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"..and have an excellent relationship with the manager.
There maybe certain individuals from the outside trying to destabilise this club …""— Cesc Fàbregas Soler (@cesc4official) November 3, 2015"
"… but I strongly believe that we will bounce back and come good again."
"— Cesc Fàbregas Soler (@cesc4official) November 3, 2015"
Club captain John Terry said Chelsea’s players – not Mourinho – must take full responsibility for their poor start to the EPL season.
Chelsea have won only three of their 11 Premier League matches, are 15th in the table, out of the Capital One (League) Cup that they won last season and are third out of four teams in their Champions League group.
“The players – and me personally – will stand up and say, ‘I’ve not been good enough’,” Terry said.
“Our performances haven’t been good and we take that on the shoulders. We realise where we are in the league and in our Champions League group and must do what we need to do to get out of it. That responsibility lies with us, not the manager.
“I think what we have seen in the last two or three days are ridiculous stories with what is happening within the dressing room…I can assure you now the players are 100 per cent behind the manager.”
Terry believes Chelsea’s form is improving.
“In the first part of the season it wasn’t good enough, but I think in the last four games we have been extremely unlucky not to come away with a couple of wins, and I am positive — I am sure — we are on the up and will turn things around. Not if we turn things around, we will turn it around.”
-AAP
