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How Jose Mourinho’s job quickly crumbled and what’s next for Chelsea
This was one of the strangest player-manager fights we’re ever going to see.
Mike Hewitt/Getty Images
Jose Mourinho got fired by Chelsea on Thursday, and it sounds like he saw it coming. As if his post-match interview after losing to Leicester wasn’t good enough, Mourinho gave another one to Chelsea TV two days later where he slammed his players again.
“Some of them need to rethink the way they live Chelsea, the way they live football, they live their job,” said Mourinho. “Chelsea is big, football is more than a job, it’s a passion. Every match on the pitch you should live with an unbelievable passion. How many millions would love to be football players and they can’t be? You shouldn’t waste any minutes on the pitch, you should enjoy every minute and you should give absolutely everything.”
Mourinho also suspected that he had a mole within the squad that was leaking team news to opponents. Whichever Chelsea players were determined to get Mourinho out at any cost have apparently got their wish.
Chelsea’s top managerial targets are unlikely to be available for interviews before the summer, so they’ll likely look for an interim boss. That person looks very likely to be Guus Hiddink.
Goal of the day
Paul Pogba’s free kick against Torino. (r/soccer)
In the news
Abby Wambach ended her career by shouting "WATCH OUT BOURBON STREET" and literally dropping the mic, because she's the greatest.
Lionel Messi sat out the Club World Cup semifinal with abdominal pain. (@FCBarcelona)
Swiss authorities have frozen a bunch of FIFA’s money. (BBC)
Tottenham Hotspur got final planning approval for their new stadium. (Telegraph)
Two Villarreal stars have been forced to deny that they are in a romantic relationship. (Outsports)
Alexis Sanchez isn’t in full training yet, but might play against Manchester City anyway. (Guardian)
Hilarious rumor of the day: Inter Milan rang up Spurs to inquire about Harry Kane. (Standard)
You should be reading
David Squires’ comic: “A Chelsea Carol” (Guardian)
Ian King on Aston Villa’s structural deficiencies. (Two Hundred Percent)
James Patrick Gordon on the soccer version of WikiLeaks. (Paste)
What happened on Wednesday
In the midst of the Abby Wambach celebrations, the USWNT lost! At home! (Stars and Stripes FC)
Technically Thursday, but while you were asleep, Barcelona beat Guangzhou Evergrande. (Barca Blaugranes)
What to watch on Thursday (click for listings, all times ET)
Copa del Rey: 4 matches (from 2 p.m.) -- Villarreal and Atlético Madrid both play.
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