EXCLUSIVE: It’s so sad. I just can’t believe we’ve lost the world’s best coach, says Carvalho

As the Chelsea dressing room attempted to come to terms with the departure of Jose Mourinho yesterday, Portugal international Carvalho was the first player to speak out.

Scroll down to read more:

Best buddies: Ricardo Carvalho embraces fellow Portuguese Jose Mourinho

Carvalho, who also played under Mourinho at Porto, told Sportsmail: "We are extremely sad about this. We are sad and we are shocked.

"For me there is no doubt, Jose Mourinho is the best coach in the world and I cannot believe that we have lost him.

"I never thought he would leave Chelsea without finishing his work, without achieving everything he wanted to.

"This is the first time he has ever done this and it will be terrible for him. He loved Chelsea.

"It has come as an enormous surprise to all the players. In the past few weeks the coach was unhappy because of our bad results but we were all working together towards a solution."

Carvalho is not thought to have been one of the Chelsea players who received a text message from Mourinho early on Wednesday evening telling of his imminent departure.

He became aware of the developments later that night after attending the premiere of Blue Revolution at a Fulham cinema.

But the former Porto centre half, who won the Champions League under Mourinho, has been one of the Portuguese coach's firmest allies over the past three years.

Chelsea fans make their feelings known

"I will always be grateful to Mourinho for what he has done for my career," he added. "We all will. I feel the same as all the other players about this.

"It was the captain John Terry who called me after receiving a text message from Mourinho. It is hard to take."

Chelsea's players will train again today under new coach Avram Grant ahead of Sunday's visit to Manchester United and Carvalho has called upon his team-mates to get behind the Israeli.

He said: "It is important that we are united behind Grant because he is the future of Chelsea now. The match at United is now going to be an enormous test. Our mission is not to lose."

Meanwhile, former Monaco and Juventus boss Didier Deschamps was quick to throw his hat in the ring last night to be Mourinho's long-term replacement.

Deschamps said: "If you find a manager who would not be interested by Chelsea, then show me who it is."

Deschamps, a player at Stamford Bridge in 1999-2000, had talks with Chelsea when his Monaco side knocked them out of the Champions League in 2004.

He said: "I do know the club a bit. I had the chance of meeting their directors three years ago at Monaco. I know them and they know me.

"I do not know the ins and outs of what has happened. I know there has been a relationship problem between Mourinho and his directors and owner that did not date from Wednesday. And surely the results being a little less good recently have accentuated these differences."

Deschamps, who lifted the 1998 World Cup as captain of France, reckons the demands of winning trophies would not bother him.

He explained: "Chelsea are a team who are there to win trophies, have won some and have to win some more. These are the demands of top-level football."

Deschamps, currently a radio and TV analyst in France, added: "I am free, on the market. Chelsea have taken a decision to put Avram Grant in charge for the match against United.

"I do now know whether he is there as a stand-in or not. We'll have to see in the future."

Manager of Sunday's opponents, Sir Alex Ferguson, believes Mourinho was placed under intolerable pressure to win the Champions League by the Stamford Bridge board.

Ferguson feels that owner Roman Abramovich and in particular chief executive Peter Kenyon, who used to work at Old Trafford, simply asked too much of his greatest recent rival.

Ferguson — speaking before Mourinho's departure — said: "It's just amazing that Chelsea have put pressure on the lad [Mourinho] straight away.

"They expect him to win two European trophies in only a few years. That makes it difficult."

On the plane back from United's Champions League win in Lisbon on Wednesday, Ferguson said: "I would say it is realistic to try to win it once. For us, we hope it will be this season. But there will always be these things said. Football is like showbusiness these days."

Manchester City boss Sven Goran Eriksson, who spoke to Abramovich about the Chelsea job before Mourinho was appointed, expressed his surprise yesterday.

"I like Mourinho and had a good relationship with him when I had my job with England," he said. "Of course this is a surprise but I don't know the reasons for the divorce.

"I am sure people will miss him. He is colourful and good for football. But no manager is safe these days. The best way to keep owners happy is to play winning, attractive football."