Saturday, 26 December 2015

Romelu Lukaku sets the record straight on relationship with Mourinho

                           
Chelsea fan and former Chelsea great hope Romelu Lukaku has become one of the foremost non-Chelsea commentators on the recent events surrounding Chelsea and Jose Mourinho.  Given his history with the Blues, I suppose that's not surprising.  
What is slightly surprising — just slightly, since he is doing quite well at Everton — is that he seems to harbor no ill will towards us or Mourinho, despite the fact that we discarded him so easily after setting him up as the next heir to Osgood's throne.  Though that could be because, in fact, that fact may not be a fact.
"Choices were made by me. By me. Not by them."
"Everyone says it is Mourinho's fault but it is not his fault because I made the decision. I went to his office to ask if I could go. He was the first one to say: ‘Good luck.' I signed the deal with Everton at 11 o'clock and the first text message I got on my old BlackBerry was from Mourinho saying: ‘Good luck, do your best and I will see you next season.' He was the first. Nobody knows that and that is why for me he gets immense respect."
"It is really sad he has to go. He is a great character and a great man. Even though there were words said in the media, I never looked at it because I know what he did and not a lot of managers would do that."
-Romelu Lukaku; source: Guardian
Obviously, the reason Lukaku decided to leave in the first place has more than nothing to do with Mourinho.  The final decision may have been the striker's, but it was Mourinho (and Chelsea) who decided to handle him the way we did, and to give him the limited opportunities that we did.  But, that's all water under the bridge now, I suppose.
In any case, Lukaku described Mourinho's sacking as a "mad" move by Chelsea.  Combined with his recent comments about eventually leaving Everton, maybe he's just setting up his next big move and a reunion at Manchester United — also known as a lump of coal in all our stockings.

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