KENYON AND BUCK ON THE LAST DAYS OF JOSE

The directors of Chelsea Football Club have been talking in-depth about the departure of José Mourinho as the club's manager.

Chief executive Peter Kenyon and chairman Bruce Buck have reiterated the club's message from Thursday that the split with Mourinho was as amicable as possible, and that he leaves with our best wishes for the future.

The pair also maintained that the termination of Mourinho's contract had been resolved with the minimum of fuss, as reported by the club on Thursday evening.

'With regard to his contract, I would say the specific terms of the contract are confidential,' explained Buck. 'There is nothing in that contract that I as a corporate lawyer would view as particularly unusual in the context of an executive of a company moving on. This is a confidential arrangement between José and Chelsea Football Club.'

Kenyon also spoke about how the relationship between manager and board had slowly broken down over the past nine months.

'I've been as close if not closer than anybody to José Mourinho from the day we appointed him and introduced him,' Kenyon said. 'You would recognise over the last six or nine months, I've been instrumental in managing some of the complexities in relationships around the club.

'The last six months have been difficult for everybody, things in football move quickly.

'I would be the first one to celebrate the club's time with José Mourinho. We've reached the point through the last few days whereby it was right for the club, and for him, to mutually agree to part company. That has been addressed properly, in the friendliest possible manner, professionally. It is now time to move on.'

Kenyon also quashed suggestions that there was any unrest in the squad following the departure.

'I spoke to the players and key members of staff, and I'm not concer