Frank Lampard and John Terry have shared their experiences of Jose Mourinho's first departure from Chelsea in 2007, an event that reportedly led to tears in the dressing room. The accounts emerge from the new three-part Netflix docu-series, MOURINHO, which examines the Portuguese coach's initial tenure at Stamford Bridge.
Mourinho's first period as Chelsea manager saw him secure back-to-back Premier League titles, but the relationship between the coach and owner Roman Abramovich reportedly began to deteriorate during his second season. Lampard, a key player during that era, recalled the moment Mourinho informed the squad of his sacking.
"I remember him coming into the dressing room and he said to me that he’d been sacked," Lampard said, as detailed in the documentary. "I couldn’t think about how much this man had helped my career, how much I loved working with him. There were tears, which is not normal in the dressing room when a manager leaves."
Former Chelsea captain John Terry expressed a deep admiration for Mourinho, stating in the series that he "would leave that pitch in a coffin for him." Reflecting on the manager's exit, Terry noted his own sense of responsibility.
"You’ve got grown men, tears running down their face, not really understanding why. And even still today I’m like, that’s my fault," Terry said. "When we drew the Champions League game [with Rosenborg], my man scored. If I didn’t let that person score, would he have lasted another couple of years? Who knows? I still feel kind of responsible for that."
Terry added, "It’s just disappointing how it all ended, if I’m honest. I absolutely loved him and adored him and was more upset than anyone, to be honest."
Mourinho himself commented on the deteriorating relationship with then-owner Abramovich, suggesting external influences began to interfere with their working dynamic. "In my work, the triangle: Jose, Peter Kenyon (former chief executive), Roman was invaded by strangers," he explained.
"In the beginning, you play at Stamford Bridge, you look to the box, Roman, his wife, with one or two persons of his confidence. A few seasons later: former players, agents. These kinds of people, they know where the money is."
Mourinho recounted an incident where Abramovich reportedly requested him to leave club training to assist a group of strangers with a football match abroad. "I think Roman changed," Mourinho stated. "For example, one day Peter came to me quite embarrassed and he told me, 'Jose, I have to tell you something. The boss is in Sardinia with these boats, and the people that work in these boats they play football against guys from the hotel, and they are losing. Can you go there to win a game for him?' 'No, Peter, I have training today. I have to prepare for tomorrow; I cannot go.' And he [Roman] was not happy with that."
Mourinho and Abramovich did eventually reconcile, with Mourinho returning to Chelsea in 2013 after declining an offer to succeed Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United. The series reveals that Mourinho had verbally agreed to take over at Old Trafford before changing his decision to rejoin the Blues.