Jose Mourinho refused to comment on whether he has received reassurances from Chelsea’s board and owner Roman Abramovich over his future as manager.
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Mourinho was subject of the first managerial vote of confidence of Abramovich’s 12-year ownership on October 5, and Chelsea have won just one of four matches since ahead of Saturday’s clash with Liverpool.
Chelsea, the defending Premier League champions, enter this weekend’s fixtures 15th in the table after losing half of their 10 games, including last Saturday at West Ham, while their League Cup defence ended at Stoke on Tuesday.
Asked whether he had been given assurances over his position, Mourinho, who in August signed a four-year contract extension until June 2019, said: “I don’t have to tell you.”
Abramovich has previously axed managers when Chelsea’s place in the Premier League’s top four and qualification for the Champions League the following season had been in doubt.
Asked if he can guarantee Chelsea a place in Europe’s elite competition next term, Mourinho said: “I cannot promise.” He then pointed to the failure of Manchester United and Liverpool to qualify for the Champions League in recent seasons.
Mourinho added: “Chelsea is a big club. It’s the club that I chose to come (to). It’s a club I live in a very specific way every day.
“Liverpool is a big club, Man United is a super big club. Last season Liverpool win nothing and didn’t qualify for the Champions League.
“Two years ago Man United didn’t qualify for the Champions League – not even Europa League – and won nothing. They are still a monster club, but that’s football.”
Mourinho has consistently stated since his return in June 2013 that finishing in the top four had to be the priority in a competitive league.
But in referring to the examples of United and Liverpool, Mourinho neglected to say that both sides changed their managers. David Moyes was replaced by Louis van Gaal at United and Brendan Rodgers at Liverpool by Jurgen Klopp, who will be in the visiting dugout at Stamford Bridge this afternoon.
Asked about the changes in Liverpool since Klopp succeeded Rodgers earlier this month, Mourinho said: “I think everything is the same. Changed some details, obviously, in their tactical approach to matches.
“But this is the nature of the game, especially when you are thinking and speaking about two top managers. When you change a top manager for an ordinary one… when you change a top one to another top one, the level is high, they know what to do, it’s just a little bit of difference to the way both think about football.”
Jose Mourinho admits he can’t promise that @ChelseaFC will qualify for the @ChampionsLeague next season. #SSNHQ pic.twitter.com/uJfjR6c6T1
— Sky Sports News HQ (@SkySportsNewsHQ) October 30, 2015
Mourinho was asked about Klopp’s challenging campaign at Borussia Dortmund – when the German side started poorly in the Bundesliga last term before qualifying for Europe – and whether there were parallels with Chelsea this season. He declined to discuss it.
Klopp, though, does not believe Chelsea’s current troubles make it any easier visiting Stamford Bridge and warned of the dangers a “wounded” side can pose.
“Chelsea is not easy,” the German said. “Do the Chelsea players not know any more how to play football? No, of course not. They had brilliant moments in the games before, but they didn’t win often enough.
“I am not sure it is easier to play Chelsea now than last year – why should it be? Okay, being full of self-confidence maybe makes some things different, but to be wounded can make you stronger too.”
