Real Madrid have cleared the way for José Mourinho to leave the club and take over at Chelsea after the club president, Florentino Pérez, announced that Mourinho will leave the club at the end of the season by mutual agreement.
The Portuguese is likely to be replaced by another former Chelsea manager, Carlo Ancelotti.
“We have decided to bring our relationship to an end at the end of the current season,” Pérez said of Mourinho. “The club and manager agree the timing is right to bring our relationship to an end.
“On behalf of the board of directors I would like to thank José Mourinho for all his hard work over the last three years. The team have improved in the last three years and we wish him all the best.”
The 50-year-old Mourinho has helped Madrid claim three trophies during his three years at the Bernabeu, winning the Primera Division, Copa del Rey and Spanish Supercopa.
But although he signed a contract extension with Madrid last summer tying him to the club until 2016, the season since has been disrupted by fallings-out with key players.
Ancelotti interested
Ancelotti has told Paris St-Germain he wants to leave but the move has so far been resisted by the French champions.
The club president Nasser Al Khelaifi told beinsport.fr: “Yes, we had discussions, he asked to depart for Real Madrid. I said it is not possible because he has a contract for one year more, so that is our decision. It is his problem, it is not our problem. We have offered him another year more on his contract as well as the one he has. When you have a contract, everyone is normally obliged to honour that.”
Ancelotti interested
Ancelotti has told Paris St-Germain he wants to leave but the move has so far been resisted by the French champions.
The club president Nasser Al Khelaifi told beinsport.fr: “Yes, we had discussions, he asked to depart for Real Madrid. I said it is not possible because he has a contract for one year more, so that is our decision. It is his problem, it is not our problem. We have offered him another year more on his contract as well as the one he has. When you have a contract, everyone is normally obliged to honour that.”
Ancelotti said: “We have to dec-ide together. My decision is to lea-ve the club. It is not easy because I have had a very good relationship with everyone. It is not the time to explain the reason why I wish to leave the club, and perhaps I will never explain it.”