Former Chelsea star, Steve Sidwell has sensationally revealed that John Terry, Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba cried after Portuguese coach, Jose Mourinho was sacked as manager of the club in 2007.
Sidwell claimed that the players were so devastated at Mourinho’s departure that they ended up ‘crying on the floor’ after they learned of the Portuguese coach’s ouster.
Mourinho had led Chelsea to their first league title in 50 years during that spell at Stamford Bridge but left after a breakdown in his relationship with club owner Roman Abramovich.
Sidwell who was signed by Mourinho just months before the coach’s departure said he was shaken by the development.
“I never felt that tension or thought he was in trouble,” he told the Athletic.
“There were a few games before, you could see things in the press and it really bubbled up.”
“But you didn’t feel it on the inside. The players were all united, no one was turning against him, he hadn’t lost the dressing room.
“The day he went, I was driving my wife to the airport and the news came on the radio. I just thought, “Sh*t, he’s gone. What’s going to happen?”
“Drogba was also devastated.”
“We were then all called into a meeting at Cobham. It was awkward when Jose came to say his goodbyes. You could have heard a pin drop. It felt like someone had died.”
“When you see strong characters like Didier Drogba, Frank Lampard and John Terry either crying on the floor or certainly welling up… I got upset as well. It was really weird.”
“I called him later in the day to thank him for bringing me to Chelsea and to express regret that we didn’t work together for longer.
“He told me he had no doubts I would go on to have a great career, which was nice of him.”
“Every time I’ve seen him since then, through football or socially, he’s been top drawer,” Sidwell concluded.
