Portuguese coach Jose Mourinho has responded to chants from Chelsea fans urging him to replace Mauricio Pochettino at Stamford Bridge.
During Chelsea’s recent Premier League match against Brentford, some disgruntled fans were heard chanting Mourinho’s name.
The former Chelsea manager, who is currently without a club following his departure from AS Roma, has acknowledged the fans’ calls as a “fair” reaction to the club’s current challenges.
Speaking to Fabrizio Romano, Mourinho said: “The first feeling is I always say that the best thing football has is the fans. Because the fans don’t make money with football – they spend money with football! Sometimes they spend money that the family needs and they make sacrifices because of their passion for football, especially for the passion for their clubs.
“So normally, they are fair. When the club’s fans don’t like the players or don’t like the coach, for some reason, it’s not because of beautiful eyes, it’s not because of a handsome guy. They love it, or they don’t love it, for some reason.
In my case, independent of results – of course, I had the luck always to have something to celebrate, something for the fans to have a good memory of me – but I think something that they see is when you are committed to them.”
While Chelsea’s recent lack of success under Pochettino has left fans frustrated, it’s improbable that the club will part ways with the Argentine coach anytime soon.
Despite slipping into the bottom half of the Premier League table, Chelsea still has an opportunity to secure European football by winning the FA Cup, with a significant semi-final clash against Manchester City on the horizon.
Following the international break, Pochettino’s team will return to action against Burnley in the Premier League on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Mourinho will continue his search for a new coaching position, with rumoured links to clubs in Saudi Arabia and the Portugal national team.