‘Full-Grown Men Crying Their Eyes Out’- Terry Recalls Chelsea Players Reaction To Mourinho Sacking
Former Chelsea captain John Terry has revealed that most members of the Blues squad were reduced to tears when Jose Mourinho was sacked for the first time in 2007.
Mourinho was drafted in to replace Claudio Ranieri in the summer of 2004 after leading FC Porto to an unlikely UEFA Champions League triumph.
The Portuguese quickly transformed Chelsea into a domestic powerhouse, winning two Premier League titles, two League Cups and an FA Cup in his first three full seasons.
An indifferent start to the 2007/2008 season saw Mourinho dismissed and replaced by Avram Grant.
According to Terry, the Chelsea players were overcome with grief when they heard the news of Mourinho’s sacking and tried to talk the club’s hierarchy into reversing their decision.
The ex-Chelsea defender told Sky Sports: "We were all in tears. It was one of those moments where there were whispers going around, we weren’t performing as well, we weren’t doing as well in the league, and then he came in and said: ‘That’s it, I’ve been sacked.’ He went around and gave everyone a hug and a cuddle.
"Full-grown men crying their eyes out. We were thinking: ‘Where do we go from here?’ We had someone like a father figure, guiding us.
"We actually spoke to the board and said: ‘Listen, we want him to stay, can we not bring him back? It’s a rash decision, he’s the best we’ve worked with.’
"Unfortunately, they’d made their decision. But yes, there were full-grown men in absolute tears.
"He was so demanding on the group, and he pushed us to our limits at times. It’s not until you finish playing that you realise why he did what he did."
Mourinho returned for a second Chelsea spell in the summer of 2013, winning another Premier League title before getting sacked again in December 2015.
