Row With Skipper Terry Was Last Straw For Mourinho

While the football world digests the sensational news that Jose Mourinho has quit Chelsea, the search is on for reasons why the split happened, and why it happened when it did - after a Champons League opener and a few days ahead of Chelsea's crunch Premier League showdown with defending champions Manchester United. The Sun newspaper has revealed that a row with club captain John Terry spelt the end of Mourinho's reign at Stamford Bridge...

Jose Mourinho's reign as Chelsea manager came to a dramatic end following a row with club captain and skipper of England John Terry, The Sun has revealed.

According to the newspaper, Mourinho had become increasingly frustrated by the level of Terry’s recent performances, and had raised the issue of Terry's form and fitness with Cheksea's medical department to see if they could suggest a reason.

However, it seems that when central defender Terry learned what Mourinho had done he was incensed, and there were heated exchanges between player nd manager before and after Tuesday’s limp 1-1 Champions League draw at home to Norwegian champions Rosenborg - a game the Blues were expected to cruise through comfortably.

An unnamed Chelsea source told The Sun: “News of their row reached the club’s directors, who were concerned it was proof that Jose was losing the dressing room.”

Chelsea had actually insisted they knew nothing about this development and claimed they had no plans to sack Mourinho - until they suddenly confirmed the Portuguese manager's departure in a statement at 1.45am today.

Yesterday, Chelsea's billionaire owner Roman Abramovich cancelled a business trip in order to hold an emergency meeting at the Bridge with Director of Football Avram Grant and director Eugene Tenenbaum.

That summit was followed by a lengthy meeting between Tenenbaum, chairman Bruce Buck and chief executive Peter Kenyon.

All three were due to attend last night’s official launch of Chelsea’s new DVD — but ironically only Mourinho went.

The Sun claims thast Abramovich, furious with Chelsea's performance against Rosenborg, demanded to know:

- Why the side are playing unmpressive football
- Why they are failing to score goals
- Why less than 25,000 fans bothered to attend the match

The Sun quoted a Chelsea source as saying: “Roman is seriously p****d off. He’s beginning to think the club is becoming a laughing stock, which is the exact opposite of everything he wants to achieve.”
Apparently Abramovich became terminally frustrated with Mourinho because he felt that whenever he demanded something of his manager and the team, he was let down.
Just before the Rosenborg match, Kenyon had told the media that Abramovich had a 10-year plan for Chelsea that included their being Champions League winners at least twice.
Kenyon had added: “It’s about winning it in a style, in a manner befitting one of the best clubs in Europe.”
Chelsea's recent performance have offered very little in the way of stylish football.
Mourinho had beeen told that team performances had to improve or he would be held responsible.
In response, Mourinho had complained about the lack of quality of players available to him, comparing his squad to eggs bought from a cheaper supermarket.