EPL: Chelsea Part Company With Jose Mourinho

Chelsea have parted company with Jose Mourinho

Chelsea have parted company with Jose Mourinho after two days of crisis board meetings. 

Chelsea FC confirmed Mourinho's departure in an official statement:

BBC/Press Association report continues:

 Blues bosses insisted Mourinho had left the club "by mutual consent" in a statement on Thursday afternoon. Mourinho has been relieved of his role just seven months after guiding Chelsea to the Premier League title, owing to the dismal run of nine defeats in 16 league matches this term.

"Chelsea Football Club and Jose Mourinho have today parted company by mutual consent," the London club's statement read.

"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.

"The club's focus is now on ensuring our talented squad reaches its potential."

Guus Hiddink, Brendan Rodgers and Juande Ramos have all been rumoured as potential short-term replacements for Mourinho, to tide Chelsea over until the end of the season.

The Blues are thought to favour Italy manager Antonio Conte as their top choice for a long-term appointment, but his contract runs until after Euro 2016.

The final match of Mourinho's second spell as Chelsea boss ultimately proved Monday's 2-1 Premier League loss at surprise table-toppers Leicester City.

Mourinho accepted in the wake of that defeat in the east midlands that Chelsea could not now challenge for a top-four finish to secure Champions League qualification for next season.

The Blues sit just a point above the relegation zone after an incredibly poor run of league form, that has led to accusations of player unrest and amid the continued fallout of club medic Dr Eva Carneiro's acrimonious exit.

Carneiro continues to pursue an unfair dismissal claim against the club, after Mourinho branded his medical staff "naive" to rush onto the field to treat Eden Hazard in the 2-2 draw with Swansea on August 8.

Carneiro's role was downgraded, leading to her leaving the club on September 22 and now seeking legal recourse.

Chelsea cancelled their regular weekly press conference that was scheduled for Friday afternoon in the wake of Mourinho's departure.

The regular media call was lined up to preview Saturday's Stamford Bridge Premier League clash against Sunderland, but has now been scrapped.

Mourinho had said after Monday night's defeat at Leicester that he had been "betrayed" by some of his players.

Mourinho said: "It is a big frustration to accept the goals because my work was betrayed, if that is the right word.

"I worked four days on this match. I prepared everything related to the opponent. I identified four movements where they scored almost all their goals.

"My players got all that information, you can ask them, they are honest guys who will tell you it is true. But in the situations I identify, we concede the first and second goal. The mistakes were there."

There had been reports of discontent within the Chelsea dressing room all season, though a number of senior professionals had gone on record to state that was never the case.

Jose Mourinho's Terrible Season - A Timeline

Chelsea have parted company with manager Jose Mourinho, bringing down the curtain on the Portuguese's second spell at Stamford Bridge. Here, Press Association Sport looks at the 52-year-old's troubled and controversial season, on and off the pitch.

August 8: Mourinho criticizes Chelsea first-team doctor Carneiro and physiotherapist Jon Fearn for naivety in running on to the field to treat Eden Hazard in the opening-day draw with Swansea. Mourinho is cleared by the Football Association of abusing Carneiro, who then subsequently leaves Chelsea.

August 16: Chelsea lose 3-0 away to Manchester City, with Mourinho substituting captain John Terry at half-time.

August 29: Mourinho's 100th Premier League home match results in only a second loss as his side go down 2-1 to Crystal Palace.

September 12: The Blues lose again as they are beaten 3-1 at Everton, Steven Naismith with a hat-trick.

September 19: Diego Costa is banned retrospectively for a running feud with Arsenal defenders Laurent Koscielny and Gabriel in Chelsea's 2-0 win. Arsene Wenger avoids censure afterwards for calling referee Mike Dean ''weak and naive''. Mourinho turns his frustrations to Wenger and the FA.

September 29: Chelsea lose 2-1 to Mourinho's old club Porto in the Champions League.

October 3: Following a fourth league defeat, 3-1 to Southampton, Mourinho questions whether he will be sacked and subsequently receives the first vote of confidence in a manager in the 12 years of Roman Abramovich's ownership. He is, though, hit with a £50,000 fine and suspended one-match stadium ban for comments after the loss about referee Robert Madley, which, an independent panel judges, alleged bias.

October 15: The Portuguese maintains his attack on the FA, calls his fine a ''disgrace'' and says: ''I'm happy that I don't have an electronic tag.''

October 17: Mourinho rounds on star player Hazard after dropping him to the bench for the 2-0 win over Aston Villa and demands the Belgian improve his defensive work rate.

October 24: Chelsea lose again, 2-1 at West Ham, losing Nemanja Matic to a first-half red card and also having assistant first-team coach Silvino Louro sent to the stands. Mourinho does not emerge on the touchline for the second half, having also been sent off.

October 26: Mourinho charged with misconduct over his behaviour at West Ham.

October 27: Holders Chelsea are knocked out of the Capital One Cup after losing their fourth-round tie to Stoke on penalties.

October 31: Chelsea suffer yet another defeat as Liverpool are 3-1 winners at Stamford Bridge. The club's position on his future, publicly at least, is unchanged from the vote of confidence at the start of the month.

November 2: Press Association Sport learn legal papers will be served on Mourinho as part of separate but connected claims against him and against the club by Carneiro.

November 2: Mourinho is given a one-match stadium suspension with immediate effect and fined £40,000 after admitting an FA charge of misconduct over his behaviour at West Ham.

November 6: The FA releases its written reasons for Mourinho's ban, saying he called referee Jon Moss ''f****** weak''.

November 7: With Mourinho absent from the game due to his ban, Chelsea lose 1-0 at Stoke - the club's seventh league loss of the campaign.

November 23: It is announced that Chelsea made a loss of £23.1million in their Premier League-winning season.

November 29: Costa is dropped to the substitutes' bench for the 0-0 draw at Tottenham and throws his bib in Mourinho's direction when it becomes apparent he would not feature.

December 5: Blues go down 1-0 at home to Eddie Howe's Bournemouth. Substitute Glenn Murray was on the pitch for one minute 39 seconds before netting 82nd-minute winner.

December 14: Chelsea beaten 2-1 at Leicester, putting the Foxes back top of the Premier League and leaving Mourinho's men one point above the relegation zone after 16 matches - Chelsea's worst start to a season since 1978, when they went on to be relegated. Mourinho says after the game that his work was ''betrayed'' by his players. He admits all top-four hopes are ''gone'' and says he needs pride from his players.

December 17 - Chelsea announce they have parted company with Mourinho by mutual consent.