Skip to main content

Advertisement

Advertisement

Mourinho wants to concede Premier League

LONDON — Jose Mourinho will ask Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich for permission to surrender the Premier League title to Liverpool. The stance of Mourinho is likely to infuriate Premier League chiefs and Manchester City, who are still hoping to catch Liverpool at the top.

Chelsea’s Frank Lampard (right) will miss the Atletico game after picking up a yellow card on Tuesday. PHOTO: AP

Chelsea’s Frank Lampard (right) will miss the Atletico game after picking up a yellow card on Tuesday. PHOTO: AP

LONDON — Jose Mourinho will ask Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich for permission to surrender the Premier League title to Liverpool. The stance of Mourinho is likely to infuriate Premier League chiefs and Manchester City, who are still hoping to catch Liverpool at the top.

Chelsea secured a goalless draw in the first-leg of their Champions League semi-final against Atletico Madrid last night, but goalkeeper Petr Cech will miss the rest of the season with a dislocated shoulder, while captain John Terry will play again only if Chelsea reach the Champions League final after suffering a foot problem.

Chelsea face Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday, only three days before the second leg against Atletico at Stamford Bridge. Frank Lampard and John Obi Mikel will miss the Atletico game after picking up yellow cards in Madrid.

Victory over second-placed Chelsea will practically secure the Premier League title for leaders Liverpool, but Mourinho admits his priority is now the Champions League. Asked how he will approach the Liverpool game, Mourinho said: “I can’t decide by myself. That’s a decision I have to listen to the club. I’m just the manager and I have to listen to the club.

“The fact that the match is on Sunday, I think puts the problem not in my hands, but in the hands of those who decide the game should be on Sunday and not Saturday or Friday.

“We represent English football and are the only team in European competitions. Spain has four and gave them all the conditions to try to have success, so I know what I would do. But I’m not the club. I have to speak to them. I would play with the players who are not going to play on Wednesday.”

When pushed on why he would not pick the team to play against Liverpool and whether the ultimate decision will rest with Abramovich, Mourinho added: “I’m not the most important person in the club. Roman and the board, everybody is above me. I work for them and have to follow what my club decides. My priority is the Champions League.”

While Mourinho wants to give up on the Premier League title, Atletico coach Diego Simeone is combining an European run with trying to win La Liga.

“I can’t comment on statements by another coach, I just have to try to think about the match against Valencia at the weekend,” said Simeone.

Mourinho admits Chelsea face an uphill task without Cech, Terry, Mikel and Lampard — although defender Branislav Ivanovic is back from suspension — but insists his team will fight for their lives to make the Champions League final.

“If we have to play the kids, we play the kids. Before the game we were speaking about the game of their lives for Atletico Madrid. Now the game of their lives is at Stamford Bridge,” said Mourinho.

Mourinho defended his decision to field a defensive line-up in Madrid, saying: “Nobody starts a game, nobody, thinking of a 0-0. But the game goes in a certain direction where you feel you have to be safe, don’t concede and try to score in one of the few chances you create. We had three or four corners, a few free-kicks. If we’d scored from one of them the result would’ve been very good. We didn’t, but we go with a result that means everything is decided at Stamford Bridge.” THE DAILY TELEGRAPH

Read more of the latest in

Advertisement

Advertisement

Stay in the know. Anytime. Anywhere.

Subscribe to get daily news updates, insights and must reads delivered straight to your inbox.

By clicking subscribe, I agree for my personal data to be used to send me TODAY newsletters, promotional offers and for research and analysis.