Kenyon confirms Mourinho is the latest Chelsea untouchable

Chief executive Peter Kenyon, in an interview released on Friday on the club's official website, attempted to end speculation by insisting Mourinho would remain in charge beyond this season.

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Kenyon stated: "Jose has contract to 2010 and he wants to stay. We are not going to sack him, he has the club's support. That's the situation and we are agreed on it."

It does seem to be a significant step in the right direction at time when Chelsea, already Carling Cup winners, are chasing an unprecedented Quadruple, but not everyone at the club is convinced the cold war waged by Mourinho and Abramovich is over.

Sources at the club insisted the statement was "definitive" and added: "That's the end of the matter."

In Portugal, sources close to Mourinho also now consider the matter closed. "I spoke to Jose this morning," said one of his associates. "He said something was coming out this afternoon about his future and he is very happy."

Mourinho and Abramovich hugged at Old Trafford on Sunday after Chelsea's FA Cup semi-final win against Blackburn and while that was seen as a reason to be optimistic, there have been no further moves towards a reconciliation.

In fact, there has been a fair degree of unrest behind the scenes at Stamford Bridge amid reports of an approach to Jurgen Klinsmann.

Kenyon denied on Friday that anyone had been offered Mourinho's job — in all, 13 managers have been linked with the position — but there is now little doubt that some kind of meeting took place with the former Germany coach in Los Angeles.

The fact that it has become public has caused enormous embarrassment.

The situation was further complicated by Klinsmann's clear reluctance to succeed Mourinho, which in turn demonstrated to Chelsea just how difficult it could prove to find a worthy replacement for the much-admired "Special One".

Even if the club's Russian billionaire owner has fallen out with him, Mourinho remains a firm favourite with the Chelsea players, who are preparing for Sunday's game at Newcastle, as well as supporters.

Conspiracy theorists took things a stage further on Friday and suggested that Chelsea were simply playing Mourinho at his own game.

When Mourinho declared that he would only leave if he was "sacked", some interpreted that as a manager protecting his pay-off.

By saying they will not sack him, perhaps Chelsea are protecting themselves if Mourinho eventually decides to take another job.

That scenario was being widely dismissed on Friday night, however, with club officials insisting that Kenyon's statement should be taken at face value.

Kenyon added: "I would like to be clear on one thing. We support Jose as manager and given the level of speculation, where we are now is an even bigger achievement.

"Whatever you have read or heard, no list of candidates has been drawn up, no one has been offered the job. So let's put that to bed straight away.

"Hopefully, the speculation will stop and I think it should. As far as we are all concerned what is most important is that it is business as usual at Chelsea and we are putting all our energy into winning the three remaining trophies."

Kenyon's failure to mention the rift with Abramovich — forced by the Russian's desire to recruit Portsmouth's Avram Grant as technical director and a refusal to buy much needed new players during the January transfer window — was noted, however.

Mourinho may have backed down over Grant, who is expected to arrive from Portsmouth before the end of the season, but until it is obvious that he has resolved his differences with Abramovich a question mark will remain over his future.