Blues dismiss Mourinho exit talk
By Mandeep Sanghera
Mourinho's players have been hit by injuries and loss of form
Chelsea have dismissed newspaper speculation claiming manager Jose
Mourinho could leave in the summer.
The Blues will not officially comment but BBC Sport understands
Chelsea consider the reports as tittle-tattle.
Reports alleged Mourinho's relationship with owner Roman Abramovich
and chief executive Peter Kenyon was strained and claimed Guus
Hiddink could take over.
It was also suggested they were unhappy with losing ground to
Manchester United in the Premiership title race.
The Stamford Bridge club are second in the top flight and trail
United by six points.
Mourinho has been rocked by injuries to key players while
high-profile signings such as £30m striker Andriy Shevchenko have
been underperforming.
Captain and centre-back John Terry has been one of the biggest
losses through injury and the team have dropped six points in their
last four Premiership outings while letting in six goals.
And, with the budget available to Mourinho, it has been alleged
that Chelsea's bosses are not amused by the club's
predicament.
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However, such suggestions have been dismissed in the corridors of
power at Stamford Bridge.
They are confident of overhauling
Manchester United to secure a third successive league title and
believe they can win other silverware this season.
The club are in the last 16 of the Champions League, the Carling
Cup semi-finals and the fourth round of the FA Cup.
Abramovich helped in the appointment of Dutchman Hiddink as his
country's national team coach on a two-and-a-half-year deal in
April 2006.
Russian football chiefs rejected the possibility that Hiddink could
leave his job so soon.
"He has a contract, he is the manager of the national side, and
while his contract is in force no one can consider him as a
candidate for another post," Russian Football Union president
Vitaly Mutko told a Russian radio station
