Mourinho jets in

Jose Mourinho: expected to be unveiled as Chelsea manager

Matt Hughes|Adrian Curtis|Evening Standard

14 April 2012

Jose Mourinho jetted into London today looking to put the finishing touches to the deal which will see him installed as the new Chelsea manager.

The man who guided Porto to Champions League success arrived at Heathrow airport with Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon before being driven away to finalise his appointment at Stamford Bridge.

Claudio Ranieri's long-expected departure was confirmed yesterday, freeing Chelsea to complete a deal with the Portuguese coach.

Mourinho had already given Chelsea his word he would join them on a lucrative, fouryear contract, and it is believed a severance package has now been agreed with Porto.

Asked if negotiations were complete, Mourinho said today: "It is not finished yet. You'll have to wait a little bit. You'll know very soon."

And Russian news agency Interfax quoted club owner Roman Abramovich as saying: "He (Mourinho) is the only candidate left. I hope the talks have entered their final stage."

While Mourinho arrived in London, a row was still going on behind the scenes at Chelsea over the terms of Ranieri's departure.

Chelsea intend to honour the terms of Ranieri's contract - but that will not necessarily mean the Italian can walk away with £ 6million and straight into a new job.

Under a revised deal agreed with former chairman Ken Bates two years ago, Ranieri is entitled to be paid in full for whatever is remaining on his contract, amounting to more than £6m, if dismissed.

But this is dependent on him not taking a new job during that time period. Under employment law he has an obligation to mitigate the losses of his former employer and so if Ranieri does take a new job, as seems likely, he does not get paid in full. The Italian's advisers dispute this. They argue Chelsea are not honouring the deal and he should be entitled to the full pay-off regardless.

Ranieri's UK representative, Jon Smith, of sports agency First Artists, said last night: "We are negotiating the settlement. We have had to be very careful - up until a few until a few moments ago he was manager of Chelsea, but we are assured that he is a man in demand. Claudio loves England and if it's possible for him to stay here then he will."

But Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck told Standard Sport: "Chelsea intend to honour the terms of his contract."

There has been speculation Ranieri could now be a front-runner for the manager's post at Spurs as well as a number of jobs abroad.

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