Chelsea manager wanted to keep veteran
Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho has revealed he never wanted to sell Petr Cech, especially to London rivals Arsenal.
The veteran will return to Stamford Bridge for the first-time today as an opponent to the Blues as he lines up for his new side Arsenal.
The 33-year-old fell down the pecking order under Mourinho last season as Thibaut Courtois was given the number-one jersey for the campaign, and despite staying for the season and fighting for his place, Cech was ready to leave over the summer.
Cech told Chelsea officials that he wanted to leave, but also stated he wanted to remain in London so that he didn’t have to relocate his family.
That ruled out a move abroad, with Paris Saint-Germain keen and left only Arsenal as a likely option.
Mourinho has always been against selling to fierce-rivals, but due to the loyalty shown by Cech over the years, owner Roman Abramovich allowed the move to go through.
Mourinho Reveals All
Speaking ahead of today’s game, Mourinho said:Â “It was not my decision to sell Petr to Arsenal.
“But I praised the owner [Roman Abramovich] and the board for what they did.
“Some clubs stop their players from being happy.
“But Chelsea did this with one of the biggest players in their history, so it was a special case.”
Related Content
- Jose Mourinho in FA trouble
- Mesut Ozil could leave Arsenal, says agent
- Emmanuel Petit regrets Chelsea move
Written by Alex Batt – @AlexBatt
