Jose Mourinho has been sensationally sacked as Chelsea manager after a 2-1 defeat by Leicester compounded his side’s miserable start to the season, leaving the club with no choice but to dismiss him, despite a possible £10m pay-out.

The Portuguese boss guided his side to the Premier League title in May, but Monday's loss was their ninth of the campaign, leaving them in 16th place, just a point above the relegation places.

Guus Hiddink is set to be installed as the interim manager until the end of the season, and could even take charge of the Blues clash with Sunderland this weekend.

Pep Guardiola has been sounded out about becoming Chelsea’s permanent boss next summer, but is understood to have told the club they need 10 new players.

A man believed to be Jose Mourinho is driven out of the club's training ground shortly after his sacking

The man pulled his hood down to hide his face, as Mourinho left the club for a second time

Jose Mourinho oversees his final training session in charge of Chelsea before being sacked on Thursday

Mourinho sported a buzz-cut as he watched his side, but will not be in charge for their game against Sunderland

Poll Are Chelsea right to sack Jose Mourinho? Yes No Not sure Are Chelsea right to sack Jose Mourinho? Yes 57685 votes

No 122236 votes

Not sure 11648 votes Now share your opinion





The club have long-term plans to install Diego Simeone, who will cost £15million to extract from his Atletico Madrid contract.

Mourinho, who was ready to open talks over a financial settlement to seal his exit after the defeat at West Ham at the end of October, has now seen his second spell at Stamford Bridge come to an end.

There is a potential legal wrangle over Mourinho’s Chelsea pay-out because former club doctor Eva Carneiro is taking the club to an employment tribunal.

The Blues argue they don't need to pay the Portuguese a penny as they believed he breached his contract after falling out with Carneiro in the season's opening game against Swansea.

Instead, Mourinho will be paid £250,000 per week up to a maximum of £10million - until he takes a new job.

This compromise has seen Chelsea describe the Portuguese’s dismissal as 'mutual consent'.

If he were to take a job next week they would only pay him nominal compensation, but an extended break from football would see him earn the full £10m.

A club statement confirmed that the club had 'parted company' with their manager, and said results had 'not been good enough'.

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

The Mourinho family (L-R) Jose Jnr, Matilde Jnr, Jose and Matilde at a film Premier earlier this year

The sacked Chelsea boss poses with his daughter at The Royal Opera House earlier this year

Mourinho's wife Matilde (centre) and his children, Jose Jnr and Matilde Jnr, watch on during a defeat

'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.

'There will be no further comment until a new appointment is made.'

The club also confirmed that their scheduled press conference for Friday has been cancelled.

Chelsea captain John Terry drives out of Chelsea's training ground looking upset following the sacking

Striker Diego Costa pictured driving out of the training ground in Cobham after the sacking was confirmed

Twitter reacted with glee to Mourinho's dismissal - for all the best virals, scroll down to the bottom of the article

Mourinho blamed his players after the Leicester defeat, but Roman Abramovich decided he had to go

Defeat by Leicester on Monday was the final straw for Chelsea, who have dismissed the manager

Chelsea Football Club and Jose Mourinho have today parted company by mutual consent. https://t.co/YYJaxxdE36 — Chelsea FC (at 🏡) (@ChelseaFC) December 17, 2015

MOURINHO'S MANAGEMENT CAREER Benfica (2000) Uniao de Leiria (2001-02) Porto (2002-04) 2 League titles, 1 Cup, 1 Champions League Chelsea (2004-07) 2 Premier League titles, 1 FA Cup, 2 League Cups Inter (2008-10) 2 Serie A titles, 1 Coppa Italia, 1 Champions League Real Madrid (2010-13) 1 La Liga title, 1 Copa del Rey Chelsea (2013-15) 1 Premier League title, 1 League Cup Advertisement

It is the second time Mourinho has left Stamford Bridge under a cloud after ending his first spell as Blues boss in 2007.

He took training on Thursday but looked visibly upset, and quite shaken, when talking to players afterwards.

Mourinho lost support within the Chelsea hierarchy after his bust-up with former club doctor Carneiro during the 2-2 draw with Swansea on the opening day of the season.

Stars of last season’s campaign including Eden Hazard, Nemanja Matic and Cesar Azpilicueta have all come in for fierce criticism from their manager in front of their peers, leading to splits in the camp.

He claimed after the latest defeat - away to league leaders Leicester City - that he felt 'betrayed' by his players, and that he was a victim of his own success last season.

'Sometimes I find myself thinking last season I did an amazing job, brought players to a level not their level. If this is true I brought to such a level they couldn't keep for more than super-motivation to be leading. That is one possibility.'

However, Abramovich decided that the defeat was a step too far, with Chelsea just a point above the relegation zone after 16 games.

Hiddink, who was an interim manager at the club in 2009, is tipped to take over until the end of the season, with Juande Ramos, Brendan Rodgers and Fabio Capello all also linked to the club in a short-term role.

Mourinho said only this week that he was focused on winning against Sunderland on Saturday, claiming he wanted to 'win a match' to make him feel alive.

In a conversation with Clare Balding for her show, to be broadcast on BT Sport on Thursday night, Mourinho did not seem to have any idea about his fate.

The show, recorded before his sacking, will be shown as planned, but with a notice to viewers informing them he has been sacked.

CHELSEA SACK MOURINHO - THE FULL CLUB STATEMENT Chelsea Football Club and Jose Mourinho have today parted company by mutual consent. 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. There will be no further comment until a new appointment is made. Advertisement

Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas paid tribute to his manager on Facebook shortly after the sacking

Defender Cesar Azpilicueta also took to Facebook to thank Mourinho and wish him all the best for the future

Mourinho won the title last season in his second season of his second spell at Stamford Bridge

Mourinho has come under huge pressure this season as his champions have crashed into the bottom half

The Chelsea boss talks things over with an assistant as his team are put through their paces on Thursday

Mourinho hit out at his players after their latest defeat, claiming he felt 'betrayed' by his stars

FIVE CONTENDERS FOR THE PERMANENT JOB DIEGO SIMEONE Diego Simeone took Atletico Madrid to the La Liga title in 2013-14 ahead of Barcelona and Real Madrid, but perhaps could be tempted by a new challenge in England after four years at the Vicente Calderon. Simeone is already familiar with goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois and striker Diego Costa, having managed the pair at Atletico. It is understood a £15m release clause would have to be met by Chelsea for the 45-year-old Argentinian. PEP GUARDIOLA Pep Guardiola is heading for the Premier League after deciding to reject a new £280,000-a-week contract and leave Bayern Munich next summer. The 44-year-old Spaniard is expected to take over at Manchesteer City, but Chelsea could now well make their move. However, City's dealmakers are ahead of the game and Guardiola would earn around £15m a year, which is around £2m more than what Mourinho was making at Chelsea. JUANDE RAMOS German and Ukrainian sources have linked Juande Ramos with the job at Chelsea with the Spaniard out of work since leaving Ukrainian club Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk at the end of the 2013-14 season. The 61-year-old Spaniard has already had one spell in the English Premier League, spending 12 months at Tottenham Hotspur from 2007 to 2008. He left the club at the bottom of the Premier League. Ramos took up the Real Madrid job in December 2008 but lasted barely six months as the La Liga club ended the season nine points behind rivals Barcelona. BRENDAN RODGERS Brendan Rodgers has already spent time at Chelsea as a coach from 2004 to 2008 before leaving to become the manager of Championship club Watford. Rogers almost took Liverpool to their first ever Premier League title in the 2013-14 season, falling just short to Manchester City. The 42-year-old was sacked by Liverpool in October this year and, despite links with a club job in Qatar, is still looking for work. FABIO CAPELLO Fabio Capello threw his hat into the ring as a potential replacement for Mourinho last month. He said: 'I am now in Russia, in Moscow. I do not miss the bench. For now I have not received anything but if something interesting comes up, why not?' The 69-year-old Italian is out of work after being sacked by Russia in July. If he was to take up the role at Chelsea, it would be his first job at club-level since leaving Real Madrid in 2007. Capello is familiar with all in England as the boss of the Three Lions from 2008 to 2012. Advertisement

Jose Mourinho virals: Memes mock sacked Chelsea manager as social media users go to town on his downfall

Former Liverpool, Newcastle and Nottingham Forest player appears to find the axing of Mourinho amusing, with the now pundit among the first to post a laughing image of Wenger immediately after the news broke.

Proving the film Straight Outta Compton's now iconic artwork can be turned into a meme on any person or issue, betting agency Coral gets in quick with Straight Outta Chelsea reference.

ArsenalFanTV couldn't decide between a smug-looking Wenger or a relaxed Dr Carnero sipping on a glass of wine in their response to the axing of their London rival's boss.

Not all reactions have been mocking Mourinho, with ChelseaTransfers posting this Vine to express their shock.

When you hear Jose Mourinho's been sacked and might be replaced with Juande Ramos. https://t.co/gTCH0I96XR — Chelsea Transfers (@CFCTransfers) December 17, 2015

PaddyPower gets in on the act, choosing to pray on Mourinho's expertise at parking the proverbial bus with defensive-minded tactics.

Jose's innocent wave after a post-match press conference takes on a whole new meaning after billionaire owner Roman Abramovich chose to pull the plug.

Jose's innocent wave after a post-match press conference takes on a whole new meaning after billionaire owner Roman Abramovich chose to pull the plug.

Jose. Come to Amazon. — Jeremy Clarkson (@JeremyClarkson) December 17, 2015

WHERE DID IT ALL GO WRONG FOR JOSE MOURINHO?

August 8

Drama on the opening day of the season as Mourinho criticised club doctor Eva Carneiro and physio Jon Fearn for going on to the pitch to treat Eden Hazard as Chelsea could only draw 2-2 at home against Swansea.

'I was not happy with my medical staff. Even if you are a kit man, doctor or secretary on the bench you have to understand the game,' Mourinho said.

'You have to know you have one player less and when you go to the pitch to assist a player you have to make sure your player has a serious injury.

'I was sure he hadn't a serious problem. He had a knock, he was very tired. But my medical department - on an impulse - was naive and left me with eight outfield players in a counter attack after a set piece.'

August 16

A stunning 3-0 defeat at Manchester City which Mourinho brushed off as a 'completely fake' result.

'In the first half the best team was winning, in the second half the best team was Chelsea. If the 1-0 result after our second half had been unfair in my opinion, imagine 2-0 or 3-0?

'Everybody knew that 1-0 was a result they wanted to keep and were having trouble keeping. Then second goal, mistake. Third goal, mistake.'

August 29

Chelsea were surprisingly outplayed by Crystal Palace in a 2-1 home defeat. Mourinho suffered only his second defeat in his 100th home league game in charge of the club. He threatened star players with the axe in the immediate aftermath.

'If a player is not performing there are two ways to look at it,' he said.

'The first one is that I trust the player so much that I will wait for the improvement. You wait, wait, and wait and maybe it comes or it doesn't come.

'Or, even when you are trusting the player arrives a moment when you think, 'I have to change'. And I can go both ways.'

Bakary Sako wheels away after scoring the first goal during only Mourinho's second home league defeat

September 12

Mourinho watched a bad performance at Goodison Park, where Everton were comfortable 3-1 winners, after he stormed out of a pre-match interview with BT Sport when Ray Stubbs asked about their failed pursuit of John Stones.

'Before the game, this is too long. This is too long, I'm sorry,' Mourinho said as he walked off screen.

Jose Mourinho was annoyed at how long a pre-match interview took before the game at Everton

BT Sport's Ray Stubbs covered a variety of topics before turning to the failed bid for John Stones

September 19

Diego Costa was banned for three games retrospectively after clashing with Arsenal defender Laurent Koscielny. The good news for Mourinho was Chelsea won 2-0.

'If you want to speak about Diego Costa with me, it is just to say he played like he has to play. That is why you have full stadiums, you sell to televisions all around the world for millions and millions, because the game has to be played like that.

'That is why on Sunday I go for what I consider comparable in terms of dedication and passion – New Zealand against Argentina. I love it. Fantastic, Diego. Man of the match for me.'

Diego Costa was handed a retrospective three-match ban for his behaviour against Arsenal in September

October 3

A seven-minute rant on TV in he which Mourinho criticised referee Robert Madley following another humbling at home — this time a 3-1 setback against Southampton.

The FA fine him £50,000 and handed him a suspended stadium ban. Owner Roman Abramovich was said to be concerned but Mourinho was given a vote of confidence.

CLICK HERE to read the full transcript.

October 21

Film emerged of the Chelsea manager appearing to shove a teenage boy who was taking a video of him.

Otto Nahmmacher, 14, claimed the Stamford Bridge boss grabbed his arm and pushed him as he recorded the Portuguese manager on his phone.

Mourinho can be seen on video walking along a London street, speaking on his own mobile phone.

Mourinho then spots that he is being filmed by the schoolboy, before walking past the child. The picture shakes wildly as Mourinho, 52, apparently shoves Nahmmacher, who loses control of his camera.

October 23

An angry Mourinho threatened a media blackout following reports of the incident.

'I'm going to treat your bosses the same way they treat me: no respect, no respect. I'm not talking about football. In football I'm ready to be criticised, even the stupid ones.

'Private life, stupid things you bring to light, I don't like it. So we go to a different level of professional relations.'

October 24

Mourinho was sent off at half-time after Nemanja Matic was red carded in the first half during a 2-1 defeat by West Ham. Assistant first-team coach Silvino Louro was dismissed for haranguing the fourth official in the Matic incident and five other Chelsea players were booked in the game.

Nobody at Chelsea fronted up to the waiting media after the defeat.

Mourinho embarrassingly spent the second half in the directors' box at Upton Park on Saturday

October 27

Eden Hazard missed the critical kick in the penalty shoot-out as Chelsea were sent crashing out of the Capital One Cup.

Diego Costa limped off during the first half on a terrible night for the reigning English champions that saw them eliminated from the competition.

October 31

Another home defeat, as Liverpool, under Jurgen Klopp, piled on the misery. .

Ramires' early header gave Chelsea the lead against Liverpool but a Philippe Coutinho brace and a goal from substitute Christian Benteke condemned the champions to yet another defeat.

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 serving a touchline ban, the result of his outburst at West Ham, Chelsea lose a seventh Premier League game of the season to Stoke, thanks to a Marko Arnautovic volley.

November 21

Diego Costa scores the only goal of the game - only his fourth of the season - as Chelsea scrape past a lucky Norwich at Stamford Bridge.

The Blues had looked closed to turning a corner but for a nervy final 15 minutes of the game. Mourinho claims he'd have to be 'Tom Cruise' to steer Chelsea to the title.

November 23

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

November 24

Chelsea's 4-0 Champions League win against Maccabi Tel Aviv is slightly overshadowed by a furious half-time bust-up between Costa and Mourinho.

Mourinho roared with impatience as Costa failed to convert a chance only for the fiery frontman to bark back at his boss.

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.

Costa later claimed the incident was a mistake, he said: 'The bib [incident] is in the past. I made a mistake but my relationship with Mourinho is amazing, we get on really well.

'There are things you need to control, but the bib thing was an impulse.'

Chelsea frontman Diego Costa jogs out to warm-up during his side's 0-0 draw against Tottenham

Costa theatrically throws his bib in the direction of Mourinho after ending his warm-up at White Hart Lane

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.

After the game Mourinho said his side should focus on making the top six rather than the top four, he said: 'Our objective is to fight for top four, but maybe now we have to think of finishing top six. I was concerned before this game as I was not happy with the position, and so you can imagine now (how I feel) with this defeat at home.'

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 nine defeats from 16 matches - Chelsea's worst start to a season since 1978, when they went on to be relegated.