Kenyon on Mourinho's Departure: How Chelsea Stars Cried Over His Exit.

Sensitive Moments After Mourinho's Departure

According to The Sun: Chelsea players were stunned when José Mourinho left the club in 2007. This news brought tears even to the toughest footballers.

Chelsea players were in tears after Mourinho's departure in 2007 Former Chelsea CEO Peter Kenyon revealed the reasons behind Mourinho's departurePRESS ASSOCIATION

Challenging Changes in the Club

This information was confirmed by Peter Kenyon, who led the club as CEO for five years until 2009. He was one of those who brought Mourinho to Chelsea in 2004.

Kenyon, 71, and Mourinho had a close relationship and worked well with the club's then-owner Roman Abramovich until Avram Grant came in 2007. The change in leadership disrupted this dynamic.

Mourinho reached out to Kenyon asking for a release, as Grant's arrival created distance between him and Abramovich, who wanted to see a more entertaining style of play.

Kenyon recalls in a conversation with 'The Telegraph':

“It was one of the hardest conversations I had to have. Telling the players that a) José was leaving, and b) that Avram would take his place - was difficult. I don't remember ever seeing so many football stars go pale at once. They were shocked.

“There were two people who cried, and these were the ones you wouldn't think would be capable of tears. The overall atmosphere was such that it felt like we had popped a balloon.”

Impact on the Club

Despite the changes, Chelsea reached the Champions League final in the 2007-08 season. Kenyon believes the team's success was due to the high quality of players Mourinho left behind rather than Grant's management.

In Kenyon's view, if Mourinho had stayed, Chelsea could have won the Champions League. He notes:

“It disrupted our work for a while. It didn't stop us, as the team continued to work.

“We reached the Champions League final, and that was about the team, not Avram. I don’t want to be unpleasant, but I’m just stating the facts.

“I'm really confident that if José had been in charge, we would have won the Champions League final in 2008.”

Left without their famous manager, Chelsea went through challenging phases, but ultimately the team managed to continue competing at the highest level. Mourinho's impact on the club remained significant, and the question of what might have happened if he had stayed is continuously discussed by fans and experts. The situation at Chelsea had a significant influence not only on the club itself but also on the management's approach to team-building in the future.