Taking the Michael: Jose Mourinho would have to work UNDER Emenalo if he wants Chelsea job
Taking the Michael: Jose Mourinho would have to work UNDER Emenalo if he wants Chelsea job
Behind-the-scenes talks have seen Special One's demand for
'full control' rebuffed - Technical Director must remain in charge of
player recruitment...
Control order: Jose Mourinho wants the final say at Chelsea - he won't get it
Denis Doyle
Jose Mourinho has been told he will have to accept working under Technical Director Michael Emenalo if he wants to return to Stamford Bridge.
Mourinho raised the hopes and expectations of the Blues fans that he was on his way "home" as he spoke warmly of the enduring "love" from the Chelsea faithful.
But
while the "Special One" and his advisors have been involved in
negotiations with the Chelsea hierarchy for months, his initial demands
for "full control" have been rebuffed.
And that could still end up
sending him in the direction of Paris St Germain, who have also held
talks with his agent Jorge Mendes and are likely to bend over backwards
to offer the 50-year-old a deal he wants.
Mourinho's preferred
option is to go back to Chelsea, six years after his rift with Roman
Abramovich and the Blues board became irreparable.
The Portuguese
knows that the Chelsea fans are demanding his return too, seeking the
ultimate antidote to the reign of the detested Rafa Benitez.
Abramovich
is ready to bankroll another spending spree to improve a squad
acknowledged as not strong enough to win the Premier League, although
the Russian will not cede his authority. Technical Director: Former Chelsea assistant first-team coach Michael Emenalo has risen up the ranks
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Since Mourinho left in 2007, the structure of the club has changed, with Emenalo in charge of player recruitment
and involved in the ongoing negotiations to land Atletico Madrid striker
Radomel Falcao and Andre Schuerrle from Bayer Leverkusen.
And
although it seems that Mourinho is attempting to orchestrate a popular
wave to bring him back to the Bridge in triumph, it has been made clear
that both Emenalo and chief executive Ron Gourlay have Abramovich's full
support and backing. Times have changed: Jose Mourinho and Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich way back when
Malaga coach Manuel Pellegrini is a live contender for the
Blues job, while Borussia Dortmund's Jurgen Klopp, David Moyes and
former Chelsea favourite Gianfranco Zola are outside runners.
Mourinho,
though, remains the most likely final choice, with the Portuguese's
camp now suggesting he would still be interested in the job even if
Chelsea do not finish in the top four and therefore miss out on a
Champions League place.
Benitez hinted at his disquiet at
Mourinho's public craving for his job when asked if the Portuguese had
broken the manager's "unwritten code" of conduct.
"Everybody has their own way," snapped back Benitez. "My way is to concentrate on the next game. That's it."
The
Spaniard, though, declined to say any more about his bitter rival,
unwilling to stoke up the resentment of the Chelsea fans who still hold
the Portuguese in reverence and awe any further.
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