Jose Mourinho sends message to Chelsea fans over supportive chants

Jose Mourinho has admitted he prides himself on building relationships with fans after Chelsea fans chanted his name during recent Games.

Current Blues boss Mauricio Pochettino has spoken openly of his struggles to win over the fanbase, many of whom have called for Mourinho to be brought in as his replacement.

Asked about the chants and the adoration from many supporters of his former clubs, Mourinho told Fabrizio Romano that he makes an effort to build connections with fans like those who still chant his name at Chelsea.

"I always say that the best thing Football has is the fans, because the fans don't make money with Football, they spend money with Football," he explained. "Sometimes, they spend money that the family needs and they make sacrifices because of the passion for Football and especially for the passion with their clubs. Normally, they are fair.

"When a club's fans don't like a player or don't like the coach, [it's for] some reason. It's not because [of] beautiful eyes, it's not because handsome guy. They love it or don't love it for some reason. In my case, independent of results - of course, I always had the luck of something to celebrate, for the fans to have a good memory of me - I think something they see is that you are committed to them.

"I'm always committed to my club. Fans - doesn’t matter. Country - doesn't matter, which club. So I think they have a feeling that I give everything. And because of my personality, in the end I'm always going to be more than a coach.

"In some club structures, then you have to be the coach, then you have to be the technical director, then you have to be the communication director, then you have to be the image that defends the club and the players – and that is something that people realise. But at the same time, that is something that the coach doesn't like.

"Because, myself as a coach, what I want to be is a coach. I think the ideal scenario is when the club has a structure that allows the coach to be the coach on the pitch and on the training ground, in the dressing room, on the touchline. But be the coach.

"I was the coach at Inter. I was the coach at Real Madrid. I was the coach in my first spell at Chelsea. I was the coach at Porto. In some other clubs, I was not the coach, so that is very difficult for a coach. But, I think, my relationship with every Football club where I've worked and the faNBAse, the base of everything is they see I arrive, I wear the shirt and I fight for them."

Mourinho currently finds himself out of work after leaving Roma earlier this year, and he went on to reaffirm his desire to find a new club as soon as possible. Chelsea have been linked with a reunion, while Newcastle United have also been tipped to pursue Mourinho this summer.

"I'm ready to start again," he stressed. "Sometimes when you end at a club you feel like you're in need of a rest, of a think, to process things.

"But in this case one day after I left, I was ready to go. I feel strong, I feel good, I love the work. I'm really ready. But I don't want to make the wrong choice.

"I cannot accept something just because of the feeling and the passion to be back. So I have to be patient. Normally, we are in March, is something going to happen in March or April? It's very difficult. So my objective is to start next summer."

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