Roman Abramovich and co have decided to chop and change - but how did it go so wrong? Reuters Chop...
Roman Abramovich and co have decided to chop and change - but how did it go so wrong?
Reuters
Chelsea's loss to Leicester on Monday night was the ninth defeat of what is proving to be a disastrous season for the champions.
And the club have decided to act.
The Blues boss claimed that his underperforming team have 'betrayed' him this season, as the champions sit in sixteenth place, having won only four times in the league this season.
From misfiring players to off-the-field controversies, it's been one thing after another for the Blues this term.
Follow our timeline to figure out how Chelsea find themselves in such a state this season:
June 30 : Chelsea confirm the sale of goalkeeper Petr Cech to London rivals Arsenal for just £10m.
July 23: Jose Mourinho's champions start their pre-season preparations less than three weeks before the start of the season.
August 8 : Mourinho criticises Chelsea first-team doctor Eva Carneiro and physiotherapist Jon Fearn for naivety in running on to the field to treat Eden Hazard in the opening day draw with Swansea. Mourinho is cleared by the FA of abusing Carneiro, who subsequently leaves Chelsea.
BPI
August 29 : Mourinho’s 100th Premier League home match results in a second loss as his side go down 2-1 to Crystal Palace.
Paul Terry/JMP/REX
September 19 : Diego Costa is banned retrospectively for a running feud with Arsenal defenders Laurent Koscielny and Gabriel in Chelsea’s 2-0 win. Arsene Wenger avoids censure afterwards for calling referee Mike Dean “weak and naive”. Mourinho turns his frustrations to Wenger and the FA.
October 3 : Following a fourth league defeat, 3-1 to Southampton, Mourinho questions whether he will be sacked, but gets the first vote of confidence in a boss in the 12 years of Roman Abramovich’s ownership. But he is hit with a £50,000 fine and suspended one-match stadium ban for comments about referee Robert Madley.
Reuters / Dylan Martinez
October 17 : Mourinho slams Eden Hazard – after dropping him to the bench for the 2-0 win over Aston Villa – wanting the Belgian to improve his defensive work-rate.
October 24 : Chelsea lose again, 2-1 at West Ham, losing Nemanja Matic to a red card. Assistant coach Silvino Louro is sent to the stands and Mourinho is also sent off.
Reuters
October 29 : Carneiro’s lawyers serve notice that she intends to seek a claim for constructive dismissal.
October 31 : Chelsea lose 3-1 at home to Liverpool - their ninth defeat of the season. Mourinho says little in the post-match interview other than “I have nothing to say”. But, asked in a later press conference whether it will be his last game as Blues boss, replies: “No.”
AFP/Getty
November 29 : Diego Costa is dropped to the bench and appeared to petulantly throw a bib at Mourinho. The champions are held to a goalless draw at Tottenham.
December 5 : The pressure is cranked up further on Mourinho after his side lose 1-0 at home to injury-hit Premier League new boys Bournemouth.
Robbie Stephenson/JMP/REX
December 17th: Chelsea decide enough is enough and axe Mourinho, thanking him for his efforts.
Jose Mourinho's downward spiral
July 16th
Chelsea report for pre-season training, a week later than their rivals.
July 29th
Beat Barcelona on penalties in the final game of their
pre-season tour of America, just four days before they are due to play
Arsenal at Wembley.
August 2nd
Lose 1-0 to Arsenal in the Community Shield, as Arsene Wenger gets his first win over Mourinho in 13 attempts.
8th August
Chelsea open their season with a 2-2 draw at home to Swansea -
but the game is marred by Mourinho’s criticism of club doctor Eva
Carneiro and head physiotherapist Jon Fearn, who rushed onto the pitch
to treat injured Eden Hazard.
16th August
Chelsea suffer a comprehensive 3-0 defeat at Manchester City. Skipper John Terry is subbed at half-time.
23rd August
John Terry keeps his place in the starting XI for the trip to
West Brom - but is sent off after 54 minutes. The Blues escape with a
narrow 3-2 win.
29th August
The Blues lose 2-1 at home to Crystal Palace in what is only
Mourinho’s second home defeat in 100 league games at Stamford Bridge.
19th September
Chelsea’s 2-0 win over Arsenal marred by Diego Costa’s spat with Gabriel, which saw the Arsenal defender sent off.
22nd September
Eva Carneiro leaves her position of first-team doctor at Chelsea.
29th September
Loses to his former side Porto in the Champions League.
30th September
The FA clear Mourinho of making discriminatory comments towards Carneiro.
3rd October
The Portuguese goes on a seven-minute rant following his side’s
3-1 loss against Southampton, claiming that referees are “afraid” to
give Chelsea any decisions. Says he will not walk away from Chelsea and
will have to be sacked if they want rid of him. Subs Matic off after 20
minutes.
5th October
The club give Jose Mourinho a vote of confidence following their poor start to the season.
14th October
Slapped with a one-match suspended stadium ban and £50,000 fine following his post-Southampton rant.
15th October
Calls his £50,000 fine and suspended stadium ban a “disgrace”
then has another pop at Arsene Wenger at the launch for his new book.
17th October
Leaves last year's player of the season Eden Hazard on the
bench, claiming the playmaker needs to work harder to win his place back
in the team.
19th October
Reignites feud with TV pundits - “You need to be brave to criticise my history”
20th October
Footage emerges of Mourinho appearing to shove schoolboy on London street. He later denied intimidating the youth.
21st October
Blands referee Damir Skomina “weak and naive” following
Chelsea’s goalless draw with Dynamo Kiev - another dig at Arsene Wenger,
who used the exact words against Mike Dean but went unpunished by the
FA.
24th October
Mourinho sent to the stands during a fiery 2-1 loss at West Ham, which leaves the Blues in 15th place after ten games.
27th October
The Blues crash out of the Capital One Cup, losing on penalties to ten-man Stoke.
31st October
Chelsea are beaten 3-1 at Stamford Bridge by Liverpool as the
pressure on Mourinho increases. After the game he delivers a bizarre
post-match interview, repeatedly answering questions with: "I have
nothing to say".
2nd November
Mourinho handed a one-match stadium ban and fined £40,000 for his behaviour during the West Ham defeat.
7th November
Chelsea lose their seventh Premier League game of the season, as they go down 1-0 at Stoke. Mourinho serves out his stadium ban.
29th November
Diego Costa is dropped to the bench and appeared to petulantly
throw a bib at Mourinho. The champions are held to a goalless draw at
Tottenham.
5th December
The pressure is cranked up further on Mourinho after his side
lose 1-0 at home to injury-hit Premier League new boys Bournemouth.
14th December
A NINTH league defeat of the season, this time to Leicester,
comes days after the Blues qualify for the Champions League knockout
stages. Vardy and Mahrez consign Mourinho's men to another defeat, and
the Chelsea boss says afterwards he feels "betrayed" by his players,
hinting at a dressing room revolt.
17th December
SACKED - With the Blues continued struggles showing no sign of
abating, Chelsea have decided to part company with Mourinho less than
seven months after winning the Premier League title.
COMMENTS