On Saturday, Mourinho’s Chelsea lost at Stamford Bridge to the
maybe-sorta resurgent Liverpool, 3-1. It was Chelsea’s third loss in six
games at home this season; in their previous 99 games at Stamford
Bridge under Mourinho, they only lost once. The loss leaves them adrift
in 15th place, 10 points off even a Champions League place.
This morning, a report emerged
that Mourinho will be fired after this weekend’s game against Stoke.
Sacking rumors have swirled around Mourinho for at least a month, but
this is the first time they’ve been attached to a credible source: Dan
Levene, a freelance Chelsea reporter who is about as reliable as it gets. Here’s what Levene has to say:
I hear he could have gone on Sunday – but, like previous sackings, Chelsea are choosing their moment. They want an opportunity that minimises the damage caused to the club. That means balancing the risk that a Mourinho side increasingly riven with divisions continues to lose games, with a moment to give his replacement the longest possible run-up at a debut match.Sense says, discounting a complete disaster against Dynamo Kiev on Wednesday, that the axe will fall after Stoke on Saturday evening.
If Mourinho is indeed fired after Stoke, he might not even be there
to witness it. Today the Football Association handed Mourinho a one-game ban and £40,000 ($61,694) fine,
after he was red carded for saying something to referee Jon Moss during
halftime of a loss against West Ham two weekends ago. While Chelsea
have a midweek match against Dynami Kiev, it is part of the Champions
League competition, so his ban won’t be served until Stoke. Mourinho
could still appeal the ban, and thus be on the bench for his reported
beheading.
Finally, remember Mourinho demoting team doctor Eva Carneiro and giving a BS reason for it? After failing to agree upon a severance package with Chelsea, Carneiro brought a “constructive dismissal” claim against them to the employment tribunal. As part of that claim Carneiro is suing Mourinho, likely for sex discrimination. The FA previously cleared Mourinho of using discriminatory language towards Carneiro—lip readers have him yelling “son of a bitch” and other things at her—but haphazardly did not interview her during their “investigation.”
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