Chelsea would be Euro champs if I´d stayed – Mourinho

Jose Mourinho has insisted Chelsea would have won the Champions League by now if he hadn’t been forced out of the London club by billionaire Russian owner Roman Abramovich.

The Portuguese, now in charge of Inter Milan, could only sit and watch as the Blues lost out on penalties to English rivals Manchester United in last season’s final of the Champions League, European club football’s leading competition, after leaving Stamford Bridge in September 2007.

During his three years in west London, Chelsea won two English titles, two League Cups and the FA Cup.

“We’d won absolutely everything apart from the Champions League… I would have won it with Chelsea,” he told the News of the World. “My contract was until 2011, so I would have been there for seven years. It’s enough time.”

He added: “We got to two Champions League semi-finals in my three years. We were very close.”

Mourinho was replaced by Avram Grant, a man who according to his predecessor “did nothing” in the job. The Israeli was sacked after the Champions League final and replaced by former Brazil and Portugal manager Luiz Felipe Scolari.

Mourinho, who said he didn’t regret anything about his time at Chelsea and stressed he had no unifinished business with the club, was far more enthusiastic regarding the abilities of Scolari.

“I am sure he is ready for the pressure that comes with being in charge of Chelsea. I read recently that he had said ‘real pressure’ was being manager of Brazil. He’s right… If Scolari has coped with that he can cope at Chelsea.

“That’s why I believe at the end of the season he will be picking up a big trophy,” Mourinho added.