By Niall Clarke
- Jose Mourinho sacked as Chelsea boss
- He leaves Chelsea one point shy of the relegation zone and 20 points off Leicester
- Pep Guardiola, Guus Hiddink, Brendan Rodgers and Juande Ramos have been touted as potential successors.
Jose Mourinho has been sacked as Chelsea boss after two and a half years into his second reign at the helm.
The Portuguese manager re-joined the Blues for a second spell in charge in June 2013 and won the Premier League title last season.
However after a torrid start to the season which sees Chelsea one point clear of the relegation zone, the club has decided to part ways with the 52 year old.
It has been quite the turnaround for Chelsea, going from triumph to turmoil in the space of seven months. The Blues finished eight points clear of their rivals last season, but currently sit 20 points off league leaders Leicester after just 16 games.
Mourinho lost only three games the whole of last season in the Premier League, compared to nine this season- and we haven’t even reached the half way point.
Despite coming through in the Champions League group stages, problems on and off the pitch have wreaked havoc with Chelsea’s season, prompting Mourinho’s departure.
On August 8th after a 2-2 draw against Swansea, Mourinho criticised the medial team for being ‘naïve’ after running on the pitch to treat Eden Hazard.
Club doctor, Eva Carneiro, had her role in the club downgraded before leaving in late September. She is now taking legal action against Mournho and Chelsea.
Mournho also had his fair share of problems with officials during the season, recieiving a £50,000 fine after claiming referees were afraid to award his team penalties in a 3-1 loss to Southampton.
The Portuguese manager also received a stadium ban and an extra £40,000 fine for his behaviour during a 2-1 defeat at West Ham.
Pep Guardiola is touted as a potential successor, as it is heavily rumoured that will leave his post at Bayern Munich at the end of the season.
Former Blues’ manager, Guss Hiddink, ex-Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers, and former Spurs manager Juande Ramos have also been rumoured to be in line.
For Mourinho, he will go into un-employment for the time being, but it is not likely to be long. With his track record of success, it is likely he will find a job with a major European club by the start of next season.
Where that will be is the huge question facing Mourinho. After his time with Real Madrid being full of controversy, it is unlikely he will go back to Spain. But with Bayern potentially being managerless at the end of the season, Paris Saint Germain still looking to translate their domestic success into European glory, and Manchester United struggling to find wins under Louis Van Gaal, it is unlikely he will be out of the job for long.
Stay tuned for more on this story as it develops.
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