Thursday 17 December 2015 17:26, UK
Jose Mourinho has been sacked by Chelsea - and his last interview with Sky Sports proved an extraordinary one.
Mourinho said he felt betrayed by his players and ruled out Chelsea finishing in the top four after a 2-1 defeat to Leicester on Monday Night Football.
The Portuguese - who was sacked on Thursday afternoon - also spoke about Eden Hazard's injury, how some of his team are unrecognisable from the title-winning side of last season and criticised the defending for the two goals in defeat at the King Power Stadium.
Read the full transcript of Mourinho's post-match interview with Sky Sports' reporter Patrick Davison after a ninth league defeat of the season.
Question: Jose, some fight towards the end but overall obviously a difficult night, but what are your thoughts on it?
Mourinho: They deserved to win because they were better than us during a longer period of time. I think we were the best team for 20 to 25 minutes, maximum 30 minutes. They were the best team for one hour.
They were very consistent and focused. They didn't make any mistakes. They were aggressive with everybody playing high intensity, high tempo and with a great mentality. It was difficult for us and then we conceded two goals that are unacceptable to me because I know one of my best qualities is to read the game for my players.
It's to read the opponent and identify every detail about the opponent. These two goals, the movement of Vardy between the two central defenders, the cross with the left foot. Then Mahrez in the box one against one - I want one against two because I want the midfield player to close the best foot.
The two goals are very difficult to accept. It's a big frustration to accept because I feel like my work was betrayed, if that's the right word.
When we scored the goal there was 15 minutes to go which they transformed to five because the match almost finished there with the ball boys and the injuries. Go in, go out, the ball disappears. This stuff is not nice but they did very well.
It's difficult for us to score goals when you have some players that are not at their best level and it's obvious and everybody knows that. When you have some players, especially in some crucial positions, not at their normal level, it's difficult.
Q: Is it hard for you watching some of those players, knowing they are champion players, knowing how good they can be and they're almost unrecognisable?
Mourinho: It's hard. All last season I did phenomenal work and brought them to a level that's not their level, which is more than they really are, or this season we are doing so bad that some of the players - of course I am not saying all of them, I don't want to put them all in the same basket - but clearly for some of them, it is so difficult.
Q: What was the injury to Eden Hazard?
Mourinho: I don't know. The only thing I know is that in 10 seconds he made the decision himself.
Q: He made it?
Mourinho: Yes, it must be a serious injury. He just left the pitch and he made the decision that he was not in condition to go on so it's something important.
Q: What were you thinking though because you seemed to want him to go back on and he tried for a few seconds?
Mourinho: His first reaction was 'I can't' and I was going to make the change. The second reaction was 'I want to try' and when he goes on the pitch after his first step he immediately says 'I can't do it'. It was him in a few seconds that had three different perspectives but clearly he couldn't do it.
Q: Are you worried mentally that with his form being as it is that he's not quite there?
Mourinho: No, no, no. He's injured. He's clearly injured. During the game I have no time to understand what is going on. I don't have time now to understand where the injury was but clearly he tried and he felt immediately that no way.
Q: You made a couple of changes that seemed to have a positive impact. You took Terry off and put Fabregas on for one. Why did that lift your performance or was it the changes that lifted you?
Mourinho: Well I always try to help. I think it helped but it was not enough. We took off John and kept Zouma and Azpilicueta behind because they are fast to cope with their counter-attacks. In that part of the game their game was even more about the counter-attack.
We had an extra midfield player instead of a defender and then an extra striker to have a better occupation of the box because clearly Diego [Costa] is in trouble in the box.
Normally his movements are outside the box. Normally he's moving to the sides and he doesn't occupy finishing areas. So I tried to bring Remy in and have another body there.
Q: What do you try next to try and get this team going?
Mourinho: Well I don't know another way than to work at the top level which is what I do every day. Again I have to be honest and say day by day in training I have no complaints with the players.
If I look to some matches I feel frustrated with the difference between what they do in training and what they in matches. I have to be honest with them and say that every day in training I enjoy to work with them because they want to work.
Q: Has the top four gone now?
Mourinho: Yes. Clearly, yes.
