Chelsea players were crying on the floor when Jose Mourinho left in 2007. Steve Sidwell has opened up on the ‘Special One’s’ shock departure from the club.
Jose Mourinho’s first reign at Chelsea was a resounding success. He joined the London club and led them to their first league title in 50 years. The Portuguese won the league 2 times in a row and helped Chelsea announce themselves on the global stage.
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Disagreements between Mourinho and club owner Roman Abramovich saw the Portuguese being ruthlessly parted with. Former Chelsea player, Steve Sidwell, who joined the club months before Mourinho’s departure has now revealed how sombre the dressing room was when the ‘Special One’ left.
Chelsea players were crying on the floor when Jose Mourinho left in 2007
‘I never felt that tension or thought he was in trouble,’ Sidwell told the Athletic.
‘There were a few games before, you could see things in the press and it really bubbled up. But you didn’t feel it on the inside.
‘The players were all united, no one was turning against him, he hadn’t lost the dressing room.
‘The day he went, I was driving my wife to the airport and the news came on the radio. I just thought, “Sh*t, he’s gone. What’s going to happen?”
‘We were then all called into a meeting at Cobham.
‘It was awkward when Jose came to say his goodbyes. You could have heard a pin drop. It felt like someone had died.
‘When you see strong characters like Didier Drogba, Frank Lampard and John Terry either crying on the floor or certainly welling up… I got upset as well. It was really weird.
‘I called him later in the day to thank him for bringing me to Chelsea and to express regret that we didn’t work together for longer.
‘He told me he had no doubts I would go on to have a great career, which was nice of him. ‘Every time I’ve seen him since then, through football or socially, he’s been top drawer.’
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