MX23RW : Friday, November 8 06:12:25| >> :120:26663:26663:

Jose Mourinho hints that John Terry will have to earn Chelsea spot

Mourinho hints at Terry snub
© PA Photos
Jose Mourinho hints that Chelsea captain John Terry will not walk into the team next season.

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has suggested that captain John Terry will have to fight for his place in the squad.

The former England skipper, who was a regular starter for Mourinho during his three-year spell from 2004 to 2007, spent the majority of the season on the bench under interim manager Rafael Benitez.

Mourinho, who snubbed Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas in favour of Diego Lopez while at the Bernabeu this season, has insisted that no player will be gifted a place in the team.

"I am a coach who looks for a meritocracy," Mourinho told The Mirror. "Whoever I think is best must play, without looking at status or the past. You play as you train, it is a normal situation.

"As it was normal for me to leave [Marco] Materazzi, a mythical player at Inter Milan, on the bench. Or like Benitez this year at Chelsea with Terry. The fans can think that Iker is better than Diego [Lopez]. I accept that, but I am the coach. If they play or not, that is a problem for the player."

Mourinho signed a four-year contract at Stamford Bridge this week.

ID:87929: cacheID:87929:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:2140:
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Simon Mignolet
Read Next:
Report: Liverpool want Mignolet
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool108111961325
2Manchester CityMan City1072121111023
3Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest10541147719
4Chelsea105322012818
5Arsenal105321711618
6Aston Villa105321715218
7Tottenham HotspurSpurs1051422111116
8Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton104421714316
9Fulham104331413115
10Bournemouth104331312115
11Newcastle UnitedNewcastle104331010015
12Brentford104151920-113
13Manchester UnitedMan Utd10334912-312
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham103251319-611
15Leicester CityLeicester102441418-410
16Everton102351017-79
17Crystal Palace10145813-57
18Ipswich TownIpswich100551021-115
19Southampton10118719-124
20Wolverhampton WanderersWolves100371427-133


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!