Mourinho says he won't run away from Chelsea challenge despite another defeat

03 October 2015 07:16

Jose Mourinho claims it would be a mistake for Chelsea to sack in him the wake of their 3-1 defeat to Southampton at Stamford Bridge.

The league champions have endured a miserable run in the Barclays Premier League this season, and slipped to 16th in the table after a humiliating evening against Ronald Koeman's side.

With the pressure ramping up on Mourinho, whose previous spell with the club ended in acrimony eight years ago, the Portuguese manager refused to walk away from the job.

Speaking to Sky Sports, he said: "I want to make it clear, I don't run away at all.

"If the club want to sack me, they have to sack me because I'm not running away from my responsibility and my team.

"I'm more convinced that we will finish top four and that is okay.

"I think this is a crucial moment in the history of this club because if the club sacks me, they sack the best manager this club had and the message is bad results and the manager is guilty."

"This is a moment for people to assume their responsibilities. I assume my responsibility and the players should assume theirs too.

"There are other people at the club who should assume their responsibilities and stick together."

He continued: "I consider myself to have a big self-esteem and a big ego, and I consider myself the best, leaving the worst period of my career and worst results of my career.

"Doing that as a professional hurts me a lot, doing that at Chelsea hurts me twice because it hurts me as a professional and because I like this club very, very much so I want to carry on, no doubt."

Source: PA