The forensic examination of Chelsea’s ugly exit from the Champions’ League took another turn as Mourinho revealed that he held a 30 minute meeting with his team after their 2-2 draw with Paris Saint-Germain.
Speaking about the meeting, Mourinho said, “They responded the way I expected – open communication. Nobody afraid to speak, nobody shy. Not everybody [spoke] but good opinion, different opinions.”
He further added, “Their opinions were based on what they felt on the pitch, different from person to person. People on the bench had a different vision watching from the outside.”
The drawn out scrutiny surrounding Chelsea’s knocking out is a process Mourinho seems keen to end. “This was not a match. It was a chapter. One we wanted to close.”
Despite the meeting, Mourinho suggested that the meeting served only to affirm his belief in his players.
“I have the same belief in these players. One thing is to be disappointed, and try and find the reasons why we – not them – didn’t succeed in these games. Another thing is to lose belief in the players.”
He also took his time to remind the ever-fickle British press about his team’s successes this season – successes they appear to have forgotten.
“These are the same players who have been top of the league since day one and had zero defeats in the Champions League.”
Robert Middleton: @robmid4
