But Roman Abramovich, who bought the club in 2003, wanted silverware and after giving Ranieri one season to prove himself following a £100million investment in the team, he hired Mourinho to get it. Few will dispute that was the right decision.
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Jose Mourinho, who took over from Ranieri at the London side, will see his side face a tricky Leicester City side now third in the Premier League.
Ranieri, who preceded Mourinho as Chelsea boss in 2004, has presided over a remarkable start to the Premier League season for the Foxes, as his former club have gone from champions to flirting with the relegation zone. “Yes, immediately”, said the Italian.
“When the new owner arrived he wanted to put in his own men”.
“If the new owner wants to change something, it is normal. He still prepares his players in the best way, and his training sessions are very good”.
“Before we lost the last three points against Bournemouth, I was convinced of a great December for us, to go for fourth. We don’t sell nobody”, Ranieri said. “Yes, I chose Petr Cech, I was in Eindhoven to take Robben and I suggested Drogba”.
Victory over Porto and a place in the Champions League knockout stages has revitalised Mourinho’s belief in his squad, though, and he is certain Diego Costa and Eden Hazard will soon find the net as a matter of routine.
The Blues finished last season with a whopping 46 points gap between them and the 14-placed Leicester. The tables have completely turned this season as the English champions are now at the 14 spot while Leicester are two points clear at the top of the table.
Following Manchester United’s shameful Champions League exit, the rumblings of discontent with manager Louis van Gaal have grown considerably louder.
“I know for sure Chelsea fans don’t have a memory problem”.
“Teams like Porto like to play more”.
No one is really expecting the runs of Vardy, Leicester, Costa or Chelsea to continue but that in itself isn’t sufficient to explain away the prices and nor is Chelsea’s table topping performance in the Champions League. You come to the country No 1 in European football, to the no1 championship, and you feel that you have to deserve to be here.
“When you finish a cycle, another cycle opens”, Mourinho said.
Played for both – Frank Sinclair: The Jamaican worldwide defender began his career with Chelsea and spent eight years with the club before leaving in 1998, a year after helping them win the FA Cup.
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“Then comes another one and then comes another one and now we have one [Portuguese coach] at Monaco, one at Olympiacos, one at Zenit, we have Carlos [Carvalhal] at Sheffield Wednesday doing very well too”.
