I Don't Want to Change Anything I Do, So Blame Myself? No, No, No.

Let me start by saying that I do not like Chelsea. Not in the least. Although I do like Drogba. And Terry. And Essien. What footballers! And I like Mourinho. What a marvelous bastard! Just look at him! And, of course, the footballing world woke up last Thursday, following Chelsea's 1-1 home draw with Rosenborg of Trondheim in the Champions League, stunned to learn that Mourinho is out! So it goes in world football. And it won't be long before he turns up again, I'm sure, at Barca or Parma or Leverkeusen or somewhere (all unfounded, not even rumors). But in the meantime, we're without one of the sport's true characters, so far from most American eyes, the self-proclaimed Special One. So I thought a few choice quotes (from his exit interview, no less!) were in order:

Were you sacked or did you resign?

The Chelsea statement is a correct statement. The relationship broke down, it is true, and a 'mutual agreement' is true. They didn't sack me, I didn't close the door. It is true that we both agreed I should leave.

Is that the official line?

You know that I'm not the kind of guy who will be told what to say. If I was sacked I would say I was sacked. If I had closed the door I would say I'd closed the door, that is the truth. So when I say the relationship broke down I am telling you the truth. They haven't said why the relationship broke down and I'm not going to say why it happened either.

Do you blame yourself for that?

No. I'm Jose Mourinho with all my good qualities and all my bad qualities. I'm Jose Mourinho and I don't change. I don't want to change anything I do, so blame myself? No, no, no.

How can I blame myself when I'm leaving a country and the people there are not happy that I'm going? The club is not happy, the fans are not happy, my opponents are not happy - even the referees are not happy. Yes, a few of the referees have rung me to say they are sad to see me go. But not the linesman against Blackburn.

Will you be going back to Chelsea to say goodbye?

No. It is over. Chelsea is over. It is the end for me at Chelsea. And I'm very happy with what I did - the way I started and the way I finished.

I will be around the area, taking my kids for a bicycle ride, but I won't go back to the fans. Just imagine if I did - I would die in the crush out in the middle of the pitch. It is better that doesn't happen. It is so difficult, though. Not difficult from a football point of view, that's life, that's football. But the emotional strain of it all is not easy.

You sound very upset.

I must admit I caught a tear. Just as the tear was coming out I was catching it. I did not want to cry even though I felt like it. This was so hard for me. This is the most hurtful, painful experience of my career. My worst moment at any club anywhere. It hurts me more than anything that has gone before. This was the longest period I was ever at a club.

How angry are you with what has happened?

Not at all. I'm just sad from the human point of view. Even with you journalists I'm sad. I like you. I'm sad to be leaving you behind, so it is not easy. But there's no anger. Not a single part of me is angry. There's no anger at all.

Everything above from the Guardian interview. And if you can't get enough, here's an old Time Out London interview and a BBC 'best of' (that isn't that great... but when Sheva is a class 3 egg...)

Until Mourinho finds his feat, it'll be fun to watch Arsenal chew up the EPL table this year...

And for the title quote, yeah, JM, I'm with you.

Editorial note: Thanks to RM for the editorial guidance throughout the creation of this post