5 Most Memorable Jose Mourinho Meltdowns During the 2015/16 Chelsea Season
It's certainly been an eventful seven months for Jose Mourinho.
A Premier League champion in May, the reigning Manager of the Year was sacked by Chelsea on Thursday after a horrid start to the 2015/16 season.
After 16 games, the Blues are just one point from the relegation places with a match against fellow strugglers Sunderland looming on Saturday.
For many, the writing was on the wall for the entertaining (if controversial) Portuguese boss. His time with Chelsea this season has been littered with one off-field controversy after the other.
There's no argument that the Premier League is losing one of its biggest characters, at least for the time being, so to mark Mourinho's sacking, we've ranked the five worst (or best, depending on your viewpoint) meltdowns of his time in charge this season.
5. 'I Have Nothing to Say'
1 of 5For a man who never has nothing to say, Mourinho insisting exactly that was quite the shock to the system.
He repeatedly refused to comment on either of the major flashpoints from a 3-1 home loss to Liverpool—Diego Costa's clash with Martin Skrtel and the referee's refusal to dismiss Lucas Leiva—in the post-match interview.
"I'm not stupid. The fans are not stupid," he said before insisting—perhaps quite significantly now—that he held no concerns over the stability of his job.
4. West Ham Dismissal
2 of 5
Just two weeks prior to the Liverpool defeat, Chelsea had gone down 2-1 at Upton Park in controversial circumstances.
Nemanja Matic's first-half red card was the talking point as Mourinho unleashed a foul-mouthed tirade in the referee's office at half-time and subsequently received a stadium ban.
Not one of his best moments, but it gave us one of the most memorable photographs of Mourinho when Andy Carroll scored a late winner for the Hammers.
3. One Question, Seven Minute Answer
3 of 5Quite the contrast to a man who "has nothing to say," Mourinho proved to be an interviewer's dream after the 3-1 home defeat against Southampton in October.
In a seven-minute response to just one question, he labelled referees "afraid" to give decisions in favour of Chelsea and questioned the consistency of the Football Association's punishments for managers' dissent.
Mourinho felt the decision not to award a penalty to the Blues swung the game in favour of the visitors, and he insisted that he would not "run away" from the challenge.
He also issued the following ultimatum to his employers: "If the club wants to sack me, they have to sack me."
2. 'Betrayal'
4 of 5It was the final nail in the coffin, but not necessarily the most important.
Mourinho's post-match comments following Monday night's defeat to Leicester City were concentrated into just one word: "betrayal".
Chelsea's playing staff became the latest group in the firing line after goals by Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez condemned the Blues to their ninth defeat of the season, and the boss admitted the top four was out of their reach.
Mourinho accused his players of abandoning his game plan, which led to a telling defeat and, ultimately, his sacking three days later.
1. Public Fall out with Carneiro and Fearn
5 of 5
The first game of the season for the reigning champions is rarely so seismic.
Chelsea were held to a 2-2 draw against Swansea City at Stamford Bridge on the opening day, but the major talking point came late on when medical staff Eva Carneiro and Jon Fearn rushed onto the pitch to treat Eden Hazard.
Mourinho felt the intervention of his staff slowed the game down and limited Chelsea's chances of picking up three points, and he launched into an infamous tirade of abuse at the pair.
They were removed from training and matchday duties as a very public spat ensued, with Carneiro eventually leaving her position and taking legal action against the club.
It was a killer blow to Mourinho's reputation.
