Saturday, 4 April 2015
Jose Mourinho: I don't care if we win the Premier League title at home, away or even in the hotel... I just want to win it!
Jose Mourinho has declared that he doesn't care where Chelsea win the Premier League, so long as they end up claiming the title.
The Blues lead the table by six points, with a game in hand, and face Stoke City at home on Saturday in the first of their final nine games of the season.
'I dont care if it is in the hotel or away or at home, I just want to win it,' said Mourinho, as Chelsea trained at Cobham on Friday.
'In any occasion I think the club who wins it gets the trophy in our last match at home, and our last game of the season is at home (to Sunderland).
'So if we win the title we get the trophy at our house. But I don't care, even if somebody loses the trophy and we don't get it I am happy with that. I just want to win it.'
Mourinho will start Eden Hazard against Stoke on Saturday despite the player suggesting he is tired.
The Belgian said earlier this week he is feeling weary as the season reaches its climax.
But the Chelsea manager, who also confirmed Diego Costa has recovered from a hamstring injury, will not take his wing wizard out of the firing line against the Potters. Hazard started both of Belgium's Euro 2016 qualifiers during the international break.
'Hazard is tired because he played two matches in three days,' said Mourinho. 'He travelled and didn't sleep because he arrived in Belgium at 5 or 6 in the morning after playing in Israel. We think he can recover in these couple of days, but he plays tomorrow (Saturday).
'That's football. That's what a season is like for a player who is important for both his club and national team. I want to play him every time and the coach of his country wants to play him every time.
'He is a team player that plays with the ball, creates, dribbles and players with lots of intensity so it is not a surprise that he can be a bit tired. But I believe in him, the team and his ambition to play.
'And I believe in his desire to help the team reach their season objective, so I will start with him.'
Spain striker Costa missed the international break with injury, but could yet feature against Stoke at Stamford Bridge on Saturday evening after training for the last couple of days.
However Mourinho refused to confirm whether his top scorer would start the game.
'Diego trained on Thursday and Friday with the group,' continued Mourinho. 'He is not injured but I don't know if I will start with him or not. I need to analyse the situation with him and make a decision.'
'He dedicated himself to getting fit on his days off, working hard in the morning and afternoon. We can say that we did all the tests and scans to confirm that scientifically at this moment the muscle is fine.
'But in football you need the confidence to know you are free to express maximum intensity, and that's our doubt. So we'll see in the next 24 hours then decide.'
Although they sit six points clear at the top of the league with a game in hand on all their nearest rivals, Mourinho still believes that there is still a four-horse race for the title this season.
'Look at the points difference,' he said. 'You have to say four (teams) now. Not five, because there's a gap from fourth to fifth and, with eight matches to go, that's a difficult gap from first to fifth.
'But the points difference between second, third and fourth makes me think and feel that they are there.'
He added: 'We need six victories and one draw from nine matches. It is a good situation for us, and one all the other clubs would like to have. But it's pure mathematics. We need to win six matches and draw one. We need to do that, and we haven't done it yet.'
And despite Manchester United's inconsistency this season, Mourinho still believes Louis van Gaal's side are still in with a shot at the title.
'The number of the points is the number of points,' Mourinho added. 'They are there. The points are there. In the last few matches they've become consistent in results and the quality of their performances. They are there.'
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