Football
PA Sport 10y

Jose Mourinho: My door is always open

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho maintains his door is always open, but feels under no obligation to explain any selection decisions -- even to long-serving players such as goalkeeper Petr Cech.

Belgium international Thibaut Courtois, the 22-year-old who impressed on loan at Atletico Madrid last season, started the opening Premier League match at Burnley on Monday night, which the Blues won 3-1.

Mourinho feels there will be plenty of opportunities for both men in the campaign ahead, when Chelsea are expected to challenge in all domestic and European competitions. However, the Chelsea boss insists he does not have to go through each and every one of his tactical choices, which all players just have to accept for the greater good.

Asked if he had spoken to Cech about the situation, Mourinho replied: "No, because if I speak with him, tomorrow I have to speak with another one, and another one, and another one. I never did this in my career. I don't think I have to be always speaking with players about decisions.

"For me, it is the club, the team and (then) the players. The club is not under my control. The team, yes. So I want the players to see that everything I do is thinking about the team.

"I don't like to be always justifying my decisions to the players. What I always tell them is they all know where my office is. I know it's a bit far for them, because it is the last office in the corridor, opposite to their dressing room, but they know where I am.

"I always tell (them): if you need an explanation, I never close the door. I always give (one).

"Petr didn't come to me. He worked fantastically well, as always. He in the group, with his mates, very, very normal, polite, professional, and that is what we need.''

Mourinho added: "No, I don't make exceptions. I didn't with Frank Lampard. I didn't with anyone. I didn't speak with (Didier) Drogba before the last game. I don't speak with players about that. I never did.

"The players' job is to be professional and work every day, to be available to play, to wish to play, to show every day they want to play and more than to respect the manager, but respect team-mates - that is more important.

"I always say to them the relationship between them is more important than the relations between them and myself, so I think this is a top professional player and Petr is.''

Mourinho will delay a final decision on which players he has to cut from his final 25-man Premier League squad and from those available to play in the opening group stages of the Champions League.

"The plan is to let it go, to play the matches we can, and then make a decision in the last 48 hours. Also for the Champions League, where we need two players out,'' he said.

"If you don't make the Champions League list, that is no problem to be in the Premier League and the cups. We did that last year and the club did that before me. Chelsea always did that with a couple of players.

"But when a player is not able to make the list in the Premier League, obviously he can't stay in the club just training. If that moment comes and we have to make a decision, then obviously that player has to go out on loan.''

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