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Spurs move for Jose is blocked
Leo Spall, Evening Standard21 Sep 2007
Chelsea have blocked any attempt by Premier League rivals to make Jose Mourinho their manager by forcing him to sign an exile agreement until next season.
Mourinho agreed to the deal last night as apart of the pay-off for him and his coaching staff, which is worth at least £16million, and that has scuppered an immediate approach by Spurs, who had privately declared their interest in replacing Martin Jol with the former Chelsea head coach.
Spurs are thought to have indicated their admiration for the Portuguese to him a year ago, and his shock exit from Stamford Bridge has put him ahead of Sevilla boss Juande Ramos, although Jol will be given more time to turn the White Hart Lane club around. With Atletico Madrid heading a queue of European clubs interested in Mourinho, it is likely that he will be snapped up before his Premier League exile is over.
Chelsea are also reported to have made an immediate move to stop Frank Lampard following Mourinho out of the door by offering him the £135,000-a-week contract he wants to stay at Stamford Bridge. Avram Grant, who has replaced Mourinho at Chelsea, hopes that an agreement with Lampard will help stabilise unrest in the dressing room, with Didier Drogba, devastated by the Portuguese's departure, thought to be questioning his future.
Lampard has said he wants talks over a new deal postponed until next summer when he will have only one year left to serve of his current deal. Both he and Drogba were close to their former coach, who is thought to be headed on holiday to Brazil and waiting for the offers of work to come in.
Mourinho said: "I'm going to enjoy my life, I'm going to wait for the phone calls. I want to work. I'll take my time after what happened."
Chelsea have handed the reins to Avram Grant and Steve Clarke ahead of their trip to Manchester United on Sunday and are thought to be considering adding Jamie Redknapp to their backroom staff.
On Mourinho, they said: "Jose has been instrumental in putting Chelsea among the leading clubs in world football.
"He will always be welcome at Stamford Bridge, whether as a guest or manager of another club."
