Jose Mourinho's season from hell in his own words after Chelsea axe manager

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So a second Jose Mourinho-Chelsea tenure has been ended after half a season agonising at the wrong end of the table.

Chelsea, beaten 2-1 at Leicester on Monday, are just one point above the relegation zone after 16 matches - their worst start to a season since 1978, when they went on to be relegated.

Consequently the axe has  fallen on Mourinho. He has never been one to shy away from offering his forthright views but this disastrous campaign has drawn out rants at officials, pundits, a team doctor and jibes at rival manager Arsene Wenger. Here are the best bits…

 Former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho has waved goodbye to a second spell in charge at Stamford Bridge

Mourinho (centre) took Chelsea first-team training on Thursday before being sacked by the club 

The Portuguese manager expresses his views on the Stamford Bridge touchline during a turbulent campaign

June 2 – Pre-season friendly rant at Ruben Loftus-Cheek

Mourinho blasted Chelsea youngster Loftus-Cheek for an ‘unacceptable’ performance against Sydney. The midfielder lasted 28 minutes on the pitch before being replaced.

'(Loftus-Cheek) was saying he had a pain in his back,' Mourinho said. 'But what I was feeling was that he only had this pain when Sydney had the ball. When Chelsea had the ball he was playing very, very well.

'But when Sydney had the ball I think he was more impressed by watching (John Obi) Mikel and (Nemanja) Matic work, instead of himself.

'With Ruben, it is one step back in my relations with him. If he doesn’t know what it is to play for me and Chelsea, it’s one step back.

'He has to learn it is not the Under-18 competition which is too easy for him.

'Why should I accept it in an 18/19-year-old kid? He has to learn what it takes to play for Chelsea.'

Mourinho and Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger failed to shake hands after the Community Sheild clash

August 2 – Community Shield hand-shake stand-off

Following Arsenal’s 1-0 victory in the season curtain raiser, Mourinho and Gunners boss Arsene Wenger failed to shake hands. The Portuguese shook every Arsenal player’s hand in front of the Wembley tunnel but neither manager made the move to greet their counterpart.

'I was doing what I think the status of my club and my status as a manager have to do, which is be there for the winners, to wait for them,' said Mourinho. 'I was at a point that you only miss me if you want to miss me and every Arsenal player came in my direction which was the easiest thing to do because I was just there.

'I did my job, the job that my club deserves me to do and the status as a manager when I lose any trophy.

'Would I have shaken his hand? I don't need to answer that. You see the images and see where I am - so to ask is not a fair question.'

Mourinho was involved in a heated touchline exchange with former team doctor Eva Carneiro in August

August 8 – Opening league fixture in fiery 2-2 draw with Swansea at Stamford Bridge

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho became embroiled in a heated touchline row with first-team doctor Eva Carneiro.

A visibly irate Mourinho was accused of shouting the Portuguese term 'filho da puta' (which translates as son of a b***h) in footage released by Sky Sports, after Carneiro had treated a seemingly stricken Eden Hazard during the closing stages.

Later denying he used such a phrase, Mourinho criticised his medical staff in the post-match press conference.

Mourinho reacts ahead of the heated touchline row with first-team doctor Eva Carneiro back in August

‘So for them to do that they must be sure the player has a real problem and not a little knock and with my experience and the way I read the game I could clearly see it was not a problem,' added Mourinho.

'But without any doubt they went to the pitch and left the team with nine men. If you are involved in the game then you have to understand the game.

'Even if you are a kit-man, doctor or secretary on the bench you have to understand the game. (Hazard) had a knock, he was very tired. But my medical department was naive.’

As ever Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has provided entertaining press conferences this season

The Portuguese manager was infuriated pitchside during his side's defeat at Everton earlier this season

September 12 – Mourinho loses his cool with Roberto Martinez

With Chelsea hotly pursuing Everton centre back John Stones, Chelsea visited Goodison Park and the disgruntled Blues boss stormed out of his pre-match interview with BT with questions regarding the transfer.

Chelsea proceeded to lose 3-1, courtesy of a Steven Naismith hat-trick, prompting a bizarre refugee reference from Mourinho.

'I am sorry, until somebody wins the league we are the champions,’ added the 52 year-old. ‘I am coping well. I am not feeling pressure. The refugees are under big pressure. The results are the worst results ever in my career.’

It was later revealed that Mourinho lost his temper with Toffees boss Roberto Martinez.

Mourinho was enraged that Martinez had conducted his press conference first.

‘Roberto, next time you tell me (to) go before you, because we have to travel,’ scowled Mourinho.

Martinez responded: ‘We don’t control that, Jose. I don’t control that.’ However Mourinho was in no mood to listen and fired back: ‘F****** hell!’

Jose Mourinho has usually defended his squad despite an inconsistent start to the title defence

September 15 – Brushes off ‘stupid’ third-season syndrome

Ahead of opening their Champions League account, Mourinho was asked about his so called third-season syndrome in reference to the fact that he doesn't remain at clubs for extended periods of time.

'My third season in Porto? I didn't have a third season. In Inter, I didn't have a third season. My third season at Chelsea the first time, I won the FA Cup and the Carling Cup, and I played the Champions League semi-finals,’ said Mourinho.

'The third season in Real Madrid I won the Super Cup, lost the cup final, and I went to the Champions League semi-finals. These are my third seasons. So click Google instead of asking stupid questions. You spoke about the third season, and I'm telling you the question is stupid. I know the point is that the question is stupid.'

September 16 – Rips into TV pundits after Maccabi Tel-Aviv win

The Premier League title holders recorded only their second win of the poor season with a comprehensive victory over Maccabi Tel-Aviv to kick-start their Champions League pursuit.

Mourinho had been the target of criticism following his side's faltering start but snapped back at the pundits questioning his decisions.

'I'm a fantastic manager when I'm not winning matches and I'm a fantastic manager when I am. The pundits get big money not to say easy things. They have to be geniuses in their analysis or they don't deserve the money they get.’

Mourinho shakes hands with Arsene Wenger before Chelsea's 2-0 win against Arsenal in September

September 19 – Mourinho taunts rival Wenger

Jose Mourinho continued his long-running feud with Arsene Wenger, telling the Gunners boss to stop ‘crying’ and ‘moaning’ after every loss to Chelsea.

The controversy surrounded altercations involving Chelsea’s dogged striker Diego Costa, which led to a red card for Arsenal defender Gabriel Paulista in the 2-0 triumph for Mourinho’s men.

‘I played against Arsenal 12, 15, 18 times, and only once he did not moan,’ said the Blues boss. ‘On that day we lost the game, we lost the cup, it was not good for us. We behaved in a fantastic way.

‘No excuses. Not crying. Not moaning. Just Mr Jose Mourinho, my players and Chelsea football club,’ added Mourinho. ‘I have to cope with my defeats. He has to cope with his defeat.’

He then took once last chance to twist the knife into a furious Wenger. ‘I think Arsenal have the squad to be champions - and every season I feel that,’ claimed Mourinho in another pointed dig.

This clash between Gabriel Paulista and Diego Costa (centre)  led to fierce complaints from Arsene Wenger

September 25 – The feud with ‘King’ Wenger rumbles on

Mourinho alludes to Wenger when describing the pressure facing Newcastle boss Steve McClaren.

'In this country, only one manager is not under pressure,' said Mourinho.

'Every other manager is. I am under pressure, Steve (McClaren) is under pressure, (Manuel) Pellegrini is under pressure, Brendan (Rodgers) too.

'We cannot be below par. We have to meet the objectives. I have sympathy for Steve. I have sympathy with all of them, because it is a difficult job. There is one outside that list, but good for him.

'You know who. The one who can speak about the referees before the game, after the game, can push people in the technical area, can moan, can cry in the morning in the afternoon, nothing happens.

'He cannot achieve; keep his job, still be the king.’

Mourinho was left frustrated after his side drew 2-2 with struggling Newcastle at St James' Park

September 25 – Newcastle attitude ‘typical of a team that wins nothing’

Newcastle surrendered a 2-0 lead to finish 2-2 with a stuttering Chelsea side and after the topsy-turvy contest Mourinho took aim at the commitment of the opposing players.

A frustrated Mourinho said at his post-match press conference: 'I think maybe one of the reasons why Newcastle over the years doesn't get good positions is because of this mentality, it's because they choose some matches to sweat blood and in other matches, they don't.

'This is an attitude typical of a team that wins nothing.'

The Chelsea boss signalled he has no 'untouchables' in his squad when concerning team selection 

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Sept 28- Chelsea boss turns on his stars

Mourinho delivered a scathing attack on the 'motivation, desire and commitment' of his star-studded Chelsea squad ahead of their visit to face Porto in the Champions League, warning senior players he would discard them if results didn't improve.

'Clearly it's an attitude perspective of some individuals,' blasted Mourinho. 'And when you have individuals with that unstable attitude in terms of motivation, desire and commitment, you will pay.

'There are two sorts of champions: champions who win something — and there are lots of them — and champions who during their career win one, two, three, four, five, 10 or 20 titles.

'It's difficult to win every season but you can be a serial champion in your approach and attitude. This is the problem we have at this moment. We have champions, but not serial champions

'We are in an open situation. It is difficult to win the Premier League and Champions League, but possible. If the season goes in one direction and becomes closed, and we can't win, I will go just with the kids. I am ruthless,' added a furious Mourinho.

'I have very good players, players I like as players, and I like their human qualities. It is very good group of guys but “untouchables” in football? Only consistency can give you that status.' 

Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho has made a number of astonishing rants so far this season

October 3 - Saints meltdown

Following a fourth league loss, 3-1 to Southampton, Mourinho questions whether he will be sacked. He is then hit with a £50,000 fine and suspended one-match stadium ban for comments after the loss about referee Robert Madley, which, an independent panel judges, alleged bias.

'I don't run away,' he told Sky Sports. 'Two, if the club wants to sack me they have to sack me because I'm not running away from my responsibilities or my team.' 

During his seven minute post-match rant, Mourinho said: 'The referees are afraid to give decisions for Chelsea,' he stormed. 'At 1-1, it is a huge penalty and once again we don't get it. If the FA wants to punish me they can. They don't punish other managers. My players deserve it (fairness) and the fans deserve it.'

Mourinho in October after Southampton loss, 'If the FA wants to punish me they can. They don't punish others'

October 15- FA clash

The Portuguese maintains his attack on the FA, calls his fine a 'disgrace' before joking: 'I'm happy that I don't have an electronic tag.' 

October 31 - Liverpool defeat 

Mourinho refused to answer 12 questions on television following the defeat by Liverpool, constantly replying ‘I have nothing to say’ and said ‘no’ when later asked if he had managed for the final time at Stamford Bridge.

No,’ was also the response when asked to share his thoughts. ‘I’d like to listen more than being questioned.’ Then asked how champions lose games like this, he snapped: ‘Did you arrive now or did you see the game? Did you see the game?’

The Chelsea boss stands on the Stamford Bridge pitch and reflects with his staff after the defeat

Should Lucas have been sent off by Clattenburg? ‘What do you think? You are not punished by the FA. I am punished if I tell you. Now I am asking you - do you think?’

Would the FA come down hard on Mourinho had he behaved like the exuberant Jurgen Klopp on the touchline? ‘I cannot say because I’ll be punished. The fourth official told me to shut up or I go out.’

December 5 - 'Top six our objective'

Speaking after the shock home defeat by Bournemouth, the Chelsea boss conceded that his side were now forced to target the top six. 

He told Sky Sports: '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.

'Chelsea obviously won’t be fighting for relegation – that’s not the point. The problem is our objective is to finish top four. Before today it was OK to feel that with our quality we can win games in a row to push us up to that position before the end of December.'  

Glenn Murray (centre left) is mobbed by his Bournemouth team-mates after netting the last-minute winner 

December 14- player 'betrayal'

Mourinho's resolve with his under performing squad was broken following the 2-1 defeat by Leicester. 

'I feel my work was betrayed,' scorned Mourinho. 'We conceded two goals that are unacceptable for me. I know that one of my best qualities is to read the game for my players, to read the opponent, to identify the threat of the opponent. 

'I worked four days in this match. I prepared everything related to the opponents. I identify four movements where they score almost every goal,' fumed Mourinho.

Mourinho talks to playmaker Hazard, who left the field injured after half an hour of the defeat

'My players, they got all that information in training in the last three days. You can ask them. I know they are honest guys, they will tell you what I am saying is true. In four-type situations, we concede the first and the second goal.' 

He also made the audacious claim that the players may not be as good as their title-winning form indicated last season, proposing he raised their levels higher.

'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.'

Mourinho expresses his frustration on the sideline with Chelsea languishing in 16th in the table

Dec 16- Questions Blues' lifestyle and commitment

'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.

'Yes, I feel frustrated with some players and I feel that some others give absolutely everything and don't deserve to lose.'

Chelsea captain Terry (centre) and his team-mates react during the 2-1 defeat by Leicester on Monday