Champions League Exit Could Be a Blessing in Disguise - Mourinho

Jose Mourinho says that Chelsea’s Champions League exit could be a blessing in disguise for the club. The Blues drew 2-2 with Paris Saint-Germain at Stamford Bridge earlier this week and were subsequently eliminated on away goals.

Mourinho, though, believes that their elimination leaves Chelsea in a “good situation”, as they attempt to win the Premier League title – stressing that the squad will not struggle with fatigue or pressure now they only have one competition to focus on.

“Chelsea won three Premier League titles and people know that number clearly, but you can analyse in a different way,” he told reporters.

“In the last nine years they won it once, so it is not easy to win, and in these nine years Chelsea was never in the end of March with six points more than the second [placed team], so we have a good situation in our hands and the way we work last week, the way we work this week, I think the players are very confident. I think the tendency of our team is to improve.

“The normal tendency is for teams to accumulate injuries and stress in the big matches in the Champions League. Our situation gave us space to work, space to improve. Our normal tendency is to end the season in a very strong way.”

Mourinho concedes that he would still like to be in the Champions League, but the Portuguese admits that the fixture congestion the competition can cause is often a decisive factor in domestic leagues, and believes his side can end the season on a high despite their elimination.

“I prefer to be in the Champions league but the reality is that if we were in it we would have Barcelona at home, Man United at home, Barcelona away and Arsenal away, and obviously this is a very difficult hypothetical situation,” he added.

“In some countries when the fixtures are made they protect clubs in the Champions League, and immediately in the computer it is made impossible in between these big quarter-finals to play big matches, derbies, clasicos, but I confess I would like to be in this position, I would like to play Barcelona, Man United, Arsenal.

“But it has given us a situation where we can work properly, if things go as I expect we can finish the season in a very strong way.”  (Goal)