Chelsea decision on Jose Mourinho return revealed amid Graham Potter sack pressure
There are rumors that Jose Mourinho may go back to his former team Chelsea while Graham Potter’s team suffered another defeat.
Tottenham, one of Mourinho’s former teams, won against Chelsea in a match where he had only lost twice in 14 games during his two terms with the club.
Although he is now in Italy, managing Roma, there are reports that Mourinho has expressed his desire to return to Stamford Bridge. Chelsea’s current form is similar to the state of the team when Mourinho left for the second time in 2015.
Chelsea’s current position in the league is 10th, but their rank has dropped to 14th since Graham Potter became coach. They are now 10 points away from being relegated, as opposed to 14 points away from being in the top four. With just one win in their last 11 matches and visible frustration from fans, it’s not surprising that there are rumors of new coaches potentially taking over from Potter.
The pressure on Potter has significantly increased, as the team has now gone six games without a win, and suffered three losses in a row. With a match against Borussia Dortmund approaching and a visit from another team facing relegation, Leeds United, next week, there is very little room for error.
For many fans, the situation has become so dire that they are already advocating for Jose Mourinho to replace Potter as coach. Although Mourinho has strong connections to Chelsea and a successful track record, it would be a remarkable development, and there is little to suggest that it is a likely outcome.
The club have previously stated that he would always be welcomed back to SW6 though, writing in his 2015 statement: “All at Chelsea thank Jose for his immense contribution since he returned as manager in the summer of 2013.
“His three league titles, FA Cup, Community Shield and three League Cup wins over two spells make him the most successful manager in our 110-year history. But both Jose and the board agreed results have not been good enough this season and believe it is in the best interests of both parties to go our separate ways.
“The club wishes to make clear Jose leaves us on good terms and will always remain a much-loved, respected and significant figure at Chelsea. His legacy at Stamford Bridge and in England has long been guaranteed and he will always be warmly welcomed back to Stamford Bridge.”
It is true that Roman Abramovich is no longer in charge of Chelsea, and Todd Boehly, the current owner, may not have the same personal connection to Mourinho. This makes it even more difficult to imagine Mourinho returning to Chelsea as coach. However, despite the challenges, the 60-year-old coach has not held back from praising his former club.
In an interview with Sky Sports he recently gave a cryptic message, saying: “If you ask me do I have somebody that I would love to take over from ‘my Chelsea’ let’s say that, yes, but I have but I close my mouth.
“The club reached such a level that it doesn’t matter who it’s with but Chelsea will always be Chelsea. Chelsea will always be big and my house will always be 200 metres away from the stadium so I want to keep listening to the sound of happiness and success. I’m pretty sure it’s going to be like that.”
That follows on from similar things that he said before the Europa Conference League last year. “Of course, my English connection is Chelsea, that’s the way I see things, as a Chelsea man after two periods of Chelsea and six years,” he said. Meanwhile at Tottenham he was glowing of the state that Chelsea were in, saying: “I’ve been at big, big clubs with very good conditions. Chelsea, very good conditions, United the same, Madrid, the same, Inter the same.”
The expectations from his former stomping ground have never changed though and in 2021 he was certain that the club fostered its own winning mentality, saying of Thomas Tuchel’s job: “I don’t think it’s very difficult to coach at Chelsea because I was champion three times, Carlo Ancelotti was champion, Antonio Conte was champion,” Mourinho said.
“It cannot be very, very difficult because we won titles there. Chelsea always have great players and great squads and good coaches are happy to work with these clubs and with players who give you a very good opportunity to be successful and win titles.”
The current situation at Chelsea is far from ideal. While some may argue that Mourinho’s presence alone could help the struggling team regain their form, this would also pose a risk for Boehly as the current owner. Therefore, the answer to whether Mourinho should return to Chelsea as coach is far from clear and involves a great deal of uncertainty and risk.
Chelsea decision on Jose Mourinho return revealed amid Graham Potter sack pressure
