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José Mourinho

José Mourinho

José Mário dos Santos Mourinho Félix (born January 26, 1963 in Setúbal, Portugal), is a football manager. He is currently the coach of Chelsea Football Club, based in South West London. He is regarded as one of the best managers in the Premiership and in Europe and the key to Chelsea's form that saw them lift their first league trophy for over 50 years in 2005, his first season in charge. Mourinho is notorious for his self-belief and confidence in face of reporters, that has given newspapers and TV stations worldwide endless hours of material, with veteran English pundit Jimmy Hill labelling him a "soap".

Career

Early years

The son of Portuguese goalkeeper Félix Mourinho, José never actually pursued a career as a player, although he did have unsuccessful stints at smaller clubs, but his aptitude was his impressive managing and organisational ability and from an early age he prepared match reports and dossiers for his father's teams. He also has a degree in Physical Education, specialising in sports methodology and worked as a high school coach. After low-key backroom jobs at Estrela da Amadora and his hometown club Vitória de Setúbal in the early 1990s, Mourinho soon earned the nickname Tradutor (translator), when he worked with Sir Bobby Robson as his translator (technically speaking he was an interpreter) at both Sporting Lisbon and then FC Porto. He then followed Robson to FC Barcelona in 1996 where he even learned Catalan. When Robson left for PSV, he stayed at the Catalan side where he worked with Dutch coach Louis Van Gaal. Mourinho's undoubted confidence and personality helped him get beyond his original role and he began actively contributing more to coaching sessions and team management meetings.

Benfica and Leiria

In 2000 his chance of becoming a coach finally arrived when he was picked by Lisbon side Benfica to replace Jupp Heynckes after the fourth week of the Portuguese league. However, while he was popular, especially after a 3-0 win against Sporting, Benfica's election turned against club president João Vale e Azevedo and the newly-elected Manuel Vilarinho already had another coach waiting on the wings, Toni - a legend for Benfica's fans. Mourinho thus quit Benfica after just nine games in charge. The next season, 2001/02, Mourinho started work with unfashionable mid-tablers União de Leiria, where he climbed as high as fourth (9-7-3 WDL record). He was then hand-picked in January 2002 by FC Porto to replace Octávio Machado as the manager of a badly-motivated and unhappy side which was already out of contention for the league title by week 19 and at risk of not even qualifying for any European competition. Mourinho made the promise of "making Porto champions next year", and soon clinched third place after a decent 15 game run (WDL 11-2-2).

Porto

Mourinho quickly identified several key players who he saw as the backbone of what he believed would be a perfect Porto team: Baía, Ricardo Carvalho, Costinha, Deco, Dmitri Alenichev and Postiga from Porto, recalling captain Jorge Costa after a six-month loan to Charlton Athletic (after a dispute with Octávio Machado), bringing Nuno Valente and Derlei from Leiria, promising right defender Paulo Ferreira from Vitória Setúbal, Pedro Emanuel from Boavista FC, and finally Edgaras Jankauskas and Maniche who were out of contract at Benfica, the latter after a season in the reserves' side. During the pre season, Mourinho gave thoroughly detailed reports about the physical preparation of the team on the official website, always using a formal vocabulary (a 20km jog was an extended aerobic exercise, for instance) which at the same time attracted both praise for the innovation and scientific approach to the old-fashioned training methods in Portugal and scorn for the pretentiousness. One of the key aspects in Mourinho-era Porto was the pressurising play, which started right of the offensive line, dubbed "high pressure" (pt: pressão alta). The physical and combative abilities of players such as Derlei, Maniche and Deco allowed Porto to pressure from the offensive lines forcing teams either to concede the ball or try longer passes. In 2003, Mourinho won his first SuperLiga with a 27-5-2 WDL record, 11 points clear of the Benfica side that ditched him two years before. His team's points total of 86 for that season is a Portuguese record of total points gained since the 3 points per victory rule was introduced although it is not the record of most points gained out of total possible points. He also won the Portuguese Cup (against former club Leiria) and the UEFA Cup against Celtic, both in May 2003. This debut season set a standard that would be hard to better but the following season, while perhaps not playing as impressively, Porto scooped another easy SuperLiga win (their 20th overall). This was accomplished with a 100% home record, an eight point advantage and an unbeaten run that only ended five weeks before the end of the season. While the Portuguese Cup final was lost to Benfica in May 2004, two weeks later Mourinho won the ultimate prize: the Champions League, with an emphatic 3-0 win over Monaco in the Arena AufSchalke in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. The team's impressive European run saw only one defeat: against Spanish giants Real Madrid in the first group phase and included wins over Manchester United, Olympique Lyonnais and Deportivo de La Coruña.

Chelsea

Whilst still at FC Porto, Mourinho was linked with several top European clubs, including Liverpool and Chelsea. Many people, especially in Portugal, questioned the legality of alleged contract discussions with several clubs, but no wrongdoing was officially proved and no charges have been brought. Mourinho finally moved to Chelsea in June 2004. During his initial press conference on joining Chelsea Mourinho claimed to be "a special one", a prime example of his unreserved self-belief, bordering on arrogance. He became one of the best paid managers in the world, with the salary for signing with Chelsea was reported to be in the €300,000 range and was later raised to an undisclosed amount. Mourinho went straight to work, recruiting his trustworthy backroom staff from Porto, consisting of assistant manager Baltemar Brito, fitness coach Rui Faria, chief scout Andre Villas and goalkeeping coach Silvino Louro. Mourinho carried on where his predecessor Claudio Ranieri left off, and spent almost £70m on stars such as Tiago Mendes, Didier Drogba and FC Porto pair Ricardo Carvalho and Paulo Ferreira. While his signings made some worthy contributions, it was players signed before his arrival, mostly by Ranieri, who proved to be the foundations of Chelsea's success. Under Mourinho, Chelsea turned the potential seen during Ranieri's time into results. Chelsea's strengths were summed up by their two key English players: defender John Terry, and midfielder Frank Lampard. By early December they were top of the Premiership table and through to the knock-out stages of the Champions League. On 27 February 2005 he led Chelsea to the League Cup trophy in Cardiff, Wales, dramatically beating Liverpool 3-2 after extra time. The match is best remembered for Mourinho being sent off and removed from the touchline in the second half for allegedly inciting Liverpool fans. On 31 March 2005 Mourinho was handed a two match suspension and also a fine for bringing the game into disrepute by UEFA. This was after Mourinho criticised referee Anders Frisk after a Champions League second-round loss to FC Barcelona. Mourinho said a member of his staff saw Frisk talking with Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard at half-time (which is illegal in the rules of the game) alleging that the chat influenced Frisk's performance after the break, when he sent off striker Didier Drogba. Subsequent threats to Frisk's life prompted the referee to retire. It was later revealed that Rijkaard had indeed conversed with Frisk at half-time. [http://football.guardian.co.uk/print/0,3858,5165760-103,00.html] This episode led Mourinho to be described by UEFA referee's chief, Volker Ruth as an 'enemy of football'. [http://soccernet.espn.go.com/players/manager?id=1&cc=5739] On 30 April 2005, Mourinho and his Chelsea side secured the club's first top flight domestic title in 50 years with a 2-0 victory against Bolton at Reebok Stadium (he had earlier predicted that his team would win the title at Bolton). However, Mourinho failed to achieve back-to-back Champions League successes when Chelsea were knocked out of the competition at the semi-final stage by eventual winners Liverpool, just three days later. On 2 June 2005, he was fined £200,000 for his part in the meeting with Arsenal full-back Ashley Cole in January 2005. In August 2005 his fine was reduced to £75,000 upon appeal. Mourinho's salary is reported to be increasing to £5 million a year plus bonuses from the 2005/06 season, which will reportedly make him the highest paid football manager in the world [http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000102&sid=ap_0LaDEKIsY&refer=uk].

Quotes

- "We have top players and, sorry if I'm arrogant, we have a top manager."
- "If I wanted to have an easy job...I would have stayed at Porto - beautiful blue chair, the Uefa Champions League trophy, God, and after God, me."
- "As we say in Portugal, they brought the bus and they left the bus in front of the goal." - after a 0-0 draw with Tottenham Hotspur
- "5-4 is not a football score, it is more a hockey score, in training when we play five-a-sides if the score is 5-4 I send the players in because nobody is defending properly." - after Arsenal's 5-4 win over Tottenham Hotspur
- "If he helped me out in training we would be bottom of the league and if I had to work in his world of big business, we would be bankrupt." - on Roman Abramovich
- "I saw their players and manager go for a lap of honour after losing to us in their last home game. In Portugal if you do this, they throw bottles at you." - on Manchester United
- "Everybody was waiting for Chelsea not to win every game and one day when we lose there will be a holiday in the country."
- "I may look stupid saying this, but I think we should be going home with three points because we scored two great goals and usually, when you score two and concede one, you win the game." - After a Drogba goal was disallowed during a 1-1 draw with Everton
- " We are on top at the moment but not because of the club's financial power. We are in contention for a lot of trophies because of my hard work."
- " You have to wonder why they did that penalty. Because they have so many penalties in the season, that's why. They have to do something special and different. - on Arsenal's penalty mix-up in October 2005
- "I think he is one of these people who is a voyeur. He likes to watch other people. There are some guys who, when they are at home, have a big telescope to see what happens in other families. He speaks, speaks, speaks about Chelsea." - on Arsene Wenger

January 26

January 26 is the 26th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. There are 339 days remaining (340 in leap years).

Events

- 1340 - King Edward III of England is declared King of France.
- 1500 - Vicente Yáñez Pinzón becomes the first European to discover Brazil.
- 1531 - Lisbon, Portugal is hit by an earthquake--thousands die.
- 1699 - Treaty of Carlowitz signed.
- 1700 - The magnitude 9 Cascadia Earthquake took place off the coast of the American Northwest, as evidenced by Japanese records.
- 1736 - Stanislaus I of Poland abdicates his throne.
- 1785 - Benjamin Franklin writes a letter to his daughter expressing disappointment over the selection of the eagle as the symbol of the United States; he wanted the turkey.
- 1788 - The British First Fleet, led by Arthur Phillip, sail into Sydney Harbour to establish Sydney, the first permanent European settlement on the continent. Celebrated as Australia Day.
- 1802 - The U.S. Congress passes an act calling for a library to be established within the U.S. Capitol; eventually this becomes the Library of Congress.
- 1808 - Rum Rebellion, the only successful (but temporary) armed takeover of the government in Australia.
- 1837 - Michigan is admitted as the 26th U.S. state.
- 1838 - Tennessee enacts the first prohibition law in the United States
- 1841 - The United Kingdom formally occupies Hong Kong, which China had ceded.
- 1861 - The state of Louisiana secedes from the Union.
- 1863 - American Civil War: General Ambrose Burnside is relieved of command of the Army of the Potomac after the disastrous Fredericksburg campaign. He is replaced by Joseph Hooker.
- 1863 - American Civil War: Massachusetts Governor receives permission from Secretary of War to raise a militia organization for men of African descent.
- 1870 - American Civil War: Virginia rejoins the Union.
- 1885 - Troops loyal to the Mahdi conquer Khartoum.
- 1887 - Battle of Dogali: Abyssinian troops defeat Italians.
- 1905 - The Cullinan Diamond is found near Pretoria, South Africa at the Premier Mine.
- 1911 - Glenn H. Curtiss flies the first successful seaplane.
- 1934 - The Apollo Theater opens in Harlem, New York City.
- 1939 - Spanish Civil War: Troops loyal to Francisco Franco and aided by Italy take Barcelona.
- 1942 - World War II: The first American forces arrive in Europe landing in Northern Ireland.
- 1946 - Félix Gouin becomes Prime Minister of France.
- 1950 - India promulgates its constitution forming a republic and Rajendra Prasad is sworn in as its first president.
- 1956 - 1956 Winter Olympic Games open in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy.
- 1961 - John F. Kennedy appoints Janet G. Travell to be his physician. This is the first time a woman holds this appointment.
- 1962 - Ranger 3 is launched to study the moon. The space probe later missed the moon by 22,000 miles (35,400 km).
- 1965 - Hindi becomes the official language of India.
- 1966 - The Beaumont Children go missing from Glenelg Beach in Adelaide, South Australia.
- 1970 - Folk rock duo Simon and Garfunkel release classic album Bridge Over Troubled Water.
- 1980 - Israel and Egypt establish diplomatic relations.
- 1983 - Lotus 1-2-3 is released.
- 1986 - Super Bowl XX: The Chicago Bears defeat the New England Patriots, 46-10.
- 1992 - Boris Yeltsin announces that Russia is going to stop targeting United States cities with nuclear weapons.
- 1992 - Super Bowl XXVI: The Washington Redskins defeat the Buffalo Bills, 37-24.
- 1993 - Václav Havel elected President of the Czech Republic.
- 1994 - A man fires two blank shots at Charles, Prince of Wales in Sydney, Australia.
- 1996 - Whitewater scandal: Hillary Rodham Clinton testifies before a grand jury.
- 1997 - Super Bowl XXXI: The Green Bay Packers defeat the New England Patriots, 35-21.
- 1998 - Lewinsky scandal: On American television, Bill Clinton denies he had "sexual relations" with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky.
- 1998 - Compaq buys Digital Equipment Corporation.
- 2000 - Robert F. Vasa ordained Bishop of the Diocese of Baker
- 2000 - XHTML 1.0 becomes a World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Recommendation.
- 2001 - A 50-year-old Douglas DC-3 crashes near Ciudad Bolivar, Venezuela killing 24.
- 2001 - An earthquake hits Gujarat, India, causing more than 20,000 deaths.
- 2003 - Super Bowl XXXVII: The Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeat the Oakland Raiders, 48-21, earning the Buccaneers their first Vince Lombardi Trophy.
- 2005 - The Glendale train crash occurs, involving three trains; the accident kills 11 and injures 200 in Glendale, California near Los Angeles early in the morning peak hours.
- 2005 - Having been confirmed earlier in the day by a vote of 85-13 in the United States Senate, Condoleezza Rice is sworn in as U.S. Secretary of State, becoming the first African American woman to hold the post.
- 2005 - A helicopter crash in eastern Iraq kills 31 United States soldiers.

Births

1497 to 1899

- 1497 - Emperor Go-Nara of Japan (d. 1557)
- 1541 - Florent Chrestien, French writer (d. 1596)
- 1714 - Jean-Baptiste Pigalle, French sculptor (d. 1785)
- 1716 - George Germain, 1st Viscount Sackville, British soldier and politician (d. 1785)
- 1722 - Alexander Carlyle, Scottish church leader (d. 1805)
- 1763 - King Charles XIV of Sweden, Jean Baptiste Jules Bernadotte, Napoleonic general (d. 1841)
- 1781 - Achim von Arnim, German poet (d. 1831)
- 1813 - Juan Pablo Duarte, founding father of the Dominican Republic (d. 1876)
- 1826 - Julia Dent Grant, First Lady of the United States (d. 1902)
- 1880 - Douglas MacArthur, American general (d. 1964)
- 1891 - Frank Costello, Italian-born gangster (d. 1973)
- 1892 - Zara Cully, American actress (d. 1978)

1900 to 1999

- 1900 - Karl Ristenpart, German conductor (d. 1967)
- 1901 - Stuart Symington, American politician (d. 1988)
- 1902 - Menno ter Braak, Dutch author and polemicist (d. 1940)
- 1904 - Ancel Keys, American scientist (d. 2004)
- 1904 - Seán MacBride, Irish statesman, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (d. 1988)
- 1905 - Charles Lane, American actor
- 1905 - Maria von Trapp, Austrian-born singer (d. 1987)
- 1908 - Stéphane Grappelli, French jazz violinist (d. 1997)
- 1911 - Polykarp Kusch, German-born physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1993)
- 1913 - James Van Heusen, American songwriter (d. 1990)
- 1915 - William Hopper, American actor (d. 1970)
- 1918 - Nicolae Ceauşescu, Romanian dictator (d. 1989)
- 1918 - Philip José Farmer, American writer
- 1921 - Akio Morita, Japanese businessman (d. 1999)
- 1922 - Michael Bentine, British comedian (d. 1996)
- 1923 - Anne Jeffreys, American actress
- 1924 - Rauf Denktash, Cypriot politician
- 1924 - Annette Strauss, philanthropist and Mayor of Dallas, Texas (d. 1998)
- 1925 - Joan Leslie, American actress
- 1925 - Paul Newman, American actor
- 1927 - José Azcona del Hoyo, President of Honduras (d. 2005)
- 1928 - Roger Vadim, French film director and actor (d. 2000)
- 1929 - Jules Feiffer, American cartoonist and writer
- 1932 - Clement Seymour "Sir Coxsone" Dodd, Jamaican record producer
- 1935 - Bob Uecker, baseball player, broadcaster, and actor
- 1937 - Joseph Saidu Momoh, Sierra Leone political leader (d. 2003)
- 1941 - Scott Glenn, American actor
- 1941 - Henry Jaglom, English director
- 1943 - César Gutiérrez, Venezuelan Major League Baseball player (d. 2005)
- 1943 - Jean Knight, American singer
- 1944 - Angela Davis, American feminist and activist
- 1945 - Jacqueline du Pré, English cellist (d. 1987)
- 1946 - Gene Siskel, American film critic (d. 1999)
- 1953 - Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Prime Minister of Denmark
- 1953 - Lucinda Williams, American singer
- 1955 - Eddie Van Halen, Dutch-born musician
- 1958 - Anita Baker, American singer
- 1958 - Ellen DeGeneres, American actress, comedienne, and talk show host
- 1961 - Wayne Gretzky, Canadian hockey player, coach, and team owner
- 1962 - Oscar Ruggeri, Argentine footballer
- 1963 - José Mourinho, Portuguese football manager
- 1963 - Andrew Ridgeley, English musician
- 1970 - Kirk Franklin, American singer
- 1976 - James May, British writer
- 1977 - Vince Carter, American basketball player

Deaths

1630 to 1899

- 1567 - Nicholas Wotton, English diplomat
- 1630 - Henry Briggs, English mathematician (b. 1556)
- 1636 - Jean Hotman, Marquis de Villers-St-Paul, French diplomat (b. 1552)
- 1697 - Georg Mohr, Danish mathematician (b. 1640)
- 1744 - Ludwig Andreas Graf Khevenhüller, Austrian field marshal (b. 1683)
- 1750 - Albert Schultens, Dutch philologist (b. 1686)
- 1795 - Johann Christoph Friedrich Bach, German composer (b. 1732)
- 1799 - Gabriel Christie, British general (b. 1722)
- 1823 - Edward Jenner, English physician (b. 1749)
- 1824 - Théodore Géricault, French writer (b. 1791)
- 1855 - Gérard de Nerval, French writer (b. 1808)
- 1885 - Edward Davy, English inventor, physician, and scientist (b. 1806)
- 1885 - Charles George Gordon, British general (b. 1833)
- 1886 - David Rice Atchison, American politician (b. 1807)

1900 to 2005

- 1942 - Felix Hausdorff, German mathematician (b. 1868)
- 1943 - Harry H. Laughlin, American eugenicist (b. 1880)
- 1947 - Grace Moore, American soprano (plane crash) (b. 1898)
- 1947 - Prince Gustaf Adolf, Duke of Westrobothnia, second in line to the Swedish throne (b. 1906)
- 1952 - Horloogiyn Choybalsan, leader of Mongolia
- 1961 - Stan Nichols, English cricketer (b. 1900)
- 1962 - Lucky Luciano, American mobster (b. 1897)
- 1968 - Merrill C. Meigs, American newspaper publisher, and aviation promoter (b. 1883)
- 1968 - Yvor Winters, American poet and critic (b. 1900)
- 1972 - Mahalia Jackson, American singer (b. 1911)
- 1973 - Edward G. Robinson, American actor (b. 1893)
- 1979 - Nelson Rockefeller, Governor of New York and Vice President of the United States (b. 1908)
- 1983 - Paul "Bear" Bryant, American football coach (b. 1913)
- 1990 - Lewis Mumford, American historian (b. 1895)
- 1992 - José Ferrer, Puerto Rican actor (b. 1912)
- 1993 - Jan Gies, Dutch resistance leader (b. 1905)
- 1993 - Jeanne Sauvé, Governor-General of Canada (b. 1922)
- 1996 - Harold Brodkey, American author (b. 1930)
- 1996 - Dave Schultz, American wrestler (b. 1959)
- 1997 - Jeane Dixon, American astrologer (b. 1904)
- 1998 - Shinichi Suzuki, Japanese music teacher (b. 1898)
- 2000 - Don Budge, American tennis player (b. 1915)
- 2000 - Kathleen Hale, British author (b. 1898)
- 2000 - A. E. van Vogt, Canadian-born author (b. 1912)
- 2001 - Al McGuire, American basketball coach (b. 1928)
- 2003 - Valeriy Brumel, Russian athlete (b. 1942)
- 2003 - Hugh Trevor-Roper, Baron Dacre of Glanton, English historian (b. 1917)
- 2003 - George Younger, 4th Viscount Younger of Leckie, British politician (b. 1931)
- 2004 - Fred Haas, American golfer

Holidays and observances

- Australia - Australia Day
- Roman Empire - third day of the Sementivae in honor of Ceres and Terra
- Feast day of the following saints in the Roman Catholic Church
- Timothy and Titus
- Saint Paula
- Polycarp
- Saint Alberic
- Margaret of Hungary
- India - Republic Day - One of only three state holidays in India, celebrated with pomp and a military parade in New Delhi

External links

- [http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/january/26 BBC: On This Day] ---- January 25 - January 27 - December 26 - February 26 — listing of all days ko:1월 26일 ms:26 Januari ja:1月26日 simple:January 26 th:26 มกราคม

Setúbal

Setúbal (pron. IPA // or //) is a municipality in Portugal with a total area of 172.0 km² and a total population of 118,696 inhabitants. The municipality is composed of 8 parishes, and is located in the district of Setúbal. The present Mayor is Carlos Manuel Sousa (Communist) and the President of the Municipal Assembly is Maria Odete dos Santos (Communist). The municipal holiday is September 15.

Parishes

- Gâmbia-Pontes-Alto da Guerra
- Sado
- São Lourenço
- São Simão
- Setúbal (Nossa Senhora da Anunciada)
- Setúbal (Santa Maria da Graça)
- Setúbal (São Julião)
- Setúbal (São Sebastião)

City Info

The seat of the municipality is the city of Setúbal, located on the northern bank of the Sado river estuary approximately 40 Km south of Portugal's capital, Lisboa (Lisbon). It is also the seat of the district of Setúbal. In the beginning of the 20th century, Setúbal was an important center for Portugal's fishing industry, sardines in particular. None of the many factories operate today. Although its industrial life is in decline, tourism is seen as the big opportunity for the future since the nearby coast of Arrábida, a natural park, offers beautiful beaches and unspoilt nature. A colony of dolphins lives in the Sado River, and across the river from Setúbal lies the peninsula of Tróia, where several high-rise luxury resorts were built and abandoned after the realization they were being constructed on sinking, unstable land. Setúbal is the birthplace of the Portuguese satirical poet Manuel Maria Barbosa du Bocage, the classical singer Luisa Todi, as well as world famous football coach José Mourinho.

External links

- [http://www.mun-setubal.pt/ Town Hall official website]
- [http://portugal-info.net/lisboncoast/setubal.htm Portugal Travel: Setúbal]
- [http://www.travel-images.com/portugal-setubal.html Travel-Images.com] contains images of the city and district of Setúbal Category:Cities in Portugal Category:Municipalities of Portugal

Football (soccer)

:Soccer redirects here. For other senses, see soccer (disambiguation). soccer (disambiguation) Association football, soccer, or simply football (see below) is a ball game played between two teams of eleven players, each attempting to win by scoring more goals than their opponent. Football is played predominantly with the feet, but players may use any part of their body except their hands and arms to propel the ball; the exceptions to this are throw-ins (ie: when the ball goes out of bounds, field players throw the ball into play from the sidelines) and the two players acting as goalkeepers, who are the only ones allowed to handle the ball on the field of play, albeit with restrictions. The sport is known by a variety of names in different parts of the English-speaking world, usually association football and its contraction, soccer. These names are often used to distinguish the game from other codes of football, since the word "football" may be used to refer to several quite different games. Football is played at a professional level all over the world, and millions of people regularly go to a football stadium to follow their favourite team, whilst millions more avidly watch the game on television. A very large number of people also play football at an amateur level. According to a survey conducted by Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), football's governing body, published in the spring of 2001, over 240 million people regularly play football in more than 200 countries in every part of the world. Its simple rules and minimal equipment requirements have no doubt aided its spread and growth in popularity. In many parts of the world football evokes great passions and plays an important role in the life of individual fans, local communities, and even nations; it is therefore often claimed to be the most popular sport in the world.

Nature of the game

Two teams of eleven players each compete to get a spherical ball (itself known as a football) into the other team's goal, thereby scoring a goal. The team which has scored the most goals at the conclusion of the game is the winner; if both teams have an equal number of goals then the game is a draw. The primary rule for this objective is that players, other than the goalkeepers, may not intentionally touch the ball with their hands or arms during play (though they do use their hands during a throw-in restart). Although players mainly use their feet to move the ball around, they may use any part of their bodies other than their hands or arms. throw-in In typical game play, players attempt to move towards a goal through individual control of the ball, such as by dribbling (running with the ball close to their feet); by passing the ball from team-mate to team-mate; and by taking shots at the goal. Opposition players may try to regain control of the ball by intercepting a pass or through tackling the opponent who controls the ball. Football is generally a free-flowing game with the ball in play at all times except when the ball has left the field of play by wholly crossing over a boundary line (either on the ground or in the air), or play has been stopped by the referee. When play has been stopped, it recommences with a specified restart (see below). The game is played in accordance with a set of rules known as the Laws of the Game, which are summarised below.

The Laws of the Game

History and development

The Laws of the Game are based on efforts made in the mid-19th century to standardise the rules of the widely varying games of football played at the public schools of England. The first set of rules resembling the modern game were produced at Trinity College, Cambridge in 1848, at a meeting attended by representatives from Eton, Harrow, Rugby, Winchester and Shrewsbury, but they were far from universally adopted. During the 1850s, many clubs were formed, thoughout the English-speaking world, independent of schools or universities, to play various forms of football. Some came up with their own distinct codes of rules, most notably the Sheffield Football Club (formed by former pupils from Harrow) in 1857, which led to formation of a Sheffield FA in 1867. In 1862, J.C. Thring of Uppingham School also devised an influential set of rules. These efforts contribute to the formation of The Football Association (The FA) in 1863 which first met on the evening of 26 October 1863 at the Freemason's Tavern in Great Queen Street, London. The only school to be represented on this occasion was Charterhouse. The Freemason's Tavern was the setting for five more meetings between October and December, which eventually produced the first comprehensive set of rules. At the final meeting, the first FA treasurer, who was the representative from Blackheath, withdrew his club from the FA over the removal of two draft rules at the previous meeting, the first which allowed for the running with the ball in hand and the second, obstructing such a run by hacking (kicking an opponent in the shins), tripping and holding. Other English rugby clubs followed this lead and did not join the FA but instead in 1871 formed the Rugby Football Union. The eleven remaining clubs, under the charge of Ebenezer Cobb Morley, went on to ratify the original fourteen rules of the game. Despite this, the Sheffield FA played by its own rules until the 1870s. Today the laws of the game are determined by the International Football Association Board (IFAB). The Board was formed in 1882 after a meeting in Manchester of The Football Association, the Scottish Football Association, the Football Association of Wales, and the Irish Football Association. The Fédération Internationale de Football Association FIFA, the international football body, was formed in Paris in 1904 and declared that they would adhere to the rules laid down by the IFAB. The growing popularity of the international game led to the admittance of FIFA representatives to the IFAB in 1913. Today the board is made up of four representatives from FIFA and one representative from each of the four British associations. 1913

Overview of the Laws

There are seventeen Laws in the official Laws of the Game. The same laws are designed to apply to all levels of football, although the preface to the Laws does grant national associations the ability to authorise certain modifications for juniors, seniors, women, etc. The Laws are often framed in broad terms, which allows flexibility in their application depending on the nature of the game. In addition to the seventeen Laws, numerous IFAB decisions and other directives contribute to the regulation of football. The Laws can be found on the [http://www.fifa.com/en/regulations/regulation/0,3527,3,00.html official FIFA website].

Players and equipment

Each team consists of a maximum of eleven players (excluding substitutes), one of whom must be the goalkeeper. Competition rules may state a minimum of seven players are required to constitute a team. There are a variety of positions in which the outfield players are strategically placed by a manager/coach, though these positions are not defined or required by the Laws. One player on each team must be designated as that team's goalkeeper. The goalkeeper is the only player allowed to handle the ball with his hands or arms, but is restricted to doing so within the penalty area (also known as the "box" or "18 yard box") in front of his own goal. The basic equipment players are required to wear includes a shirt (or jersey), shorts, socks (or stockings), footwear and adequate shin guards. Players are forbidden to wear or use anything that is dangerous to themselves or another player (including jewellery or watches). A number of players may be replaced by substitutes during the course of the game. The maximum substitutions permitted in international games and in national level leagues is three, though substitution numbers may be varied in other leagues. The usual reasons for a player's replacement include injury, tiredness, ineffectiveness, a tactical switch, or to waste a little time at the end of a finely poised game. In standard adult matches, a player who has been substituted may not take further part in the match.

Officials

A game is presided over by a referee, who has "full authority to enforce the Laws of the Game in connection with the match to which he has been appointed" (Law 5), and whose decisions regarding facts connected with play are final. The referee is assisted by two assistant referees (formerly called linesmen). In many high-level games there is also a fourth official, who assists the referee and may replace another official should the need arise.

Playing field

fourth official)]] The length of the field (pitch) for international adult matches should be in the range 100-130 yards (90-120m) and the width should be in the range 50-100 yards (45-90m).The pitch must be rectangular, with the length of the touch line longer than the width of the goal line. The longer boundary lines are touch lines, while the shorter boundaries (on which the goals are placed) are goal lines. On the goal line at each end of the field is a goal. The inner edges of the goal posts must be 8 yards (7.32m) apart, and the lower edge of the crossbar must be 8 feet (2.44m) above the ground. Nets are usually placed behind the goal, though are not required by the Laws. In front of each goal is an area of the field known as the penalty area (colloquially "penalty box", "18 yard box" or simply "the box"). This area consists of the area formed by the goal-line, two lines starting on the goal-line 18 yards (16.5m) from the goalposts and extending 18 yards into the pitch from the goal-line, and a line joining these. This area has a number of important functions, the most prominent being to denote where the goalkeeper may handle the ball and where a foul by a defender which would usually punished by a direct free kick becomes punishable by a penalty kick. The field has other field markings and defined areas; these are described in the main article above.

Duration

Standard durations

A standard adult football match consists of two periods (known as halves) of 45 minutes each. There is usually a 15-minute break between halves, known as half time. The end of the match is known as full-time. At the end of each half the referee adds time to account for interruptions during play, such as substitutions, treatment of injuries and time wasting. This addition is traditionally known as injury time.

Extra time and shootouts

If tied at the end of regulation time, in some competitions the game may go into extra time, which consists of two further 15-minute periods. If the score is still tied after extra time, some competitions allow the use of penalty shootouts (known officially in the Laws of the Game as "kicks from the penalty mark") to determine which team will progress to the next stage of the tournament. Note that goals scored during extra time periods count towards the final score of the game, unlike kicks from the penalty mark which are only used to decide the team that progresses to the next part of the tournament (with goals scored not making up part of the final score). Competitions utilising two-leg stages (i.e. where each round involves the two teams playing each other twice) may utilise the so-called away goals rule to attempt to determine which team progresses in the event of the teams being equal on wins; however, should results still be equal following this calculation kicks from the penalty mark are usually required. Other competitions may require a tied game to be replayed.

Golden and silver goal experiments

In the late 1990s, the IFAB experimented with ways of making matches more likely to end without requiring kicks from the penalty mark, which were often seen as an undesirable way to end a match. These involved rules ending a game in extra time early, either when the first goal in extra time was scored (golden goal), or at the end of the first period of extra time if one team was by then leading (silver goal). Both these experiments have been discontinued by IFAB.

Referee as official timekeeper

The referee is the official timekeeper for the match, and it is part of his duties to make allowance for time lost through substitutions, injured players requiring attention, cautions and dismissals, sundry time wasting, etc. When making such an allowance for time lost, the referee is often said to be "adding time on". The amount of time is at the sole discretion of the referee, and the referee alone signals when the match has been completed. There are no other timekeepers, although assistant referees carry a watch and may provide a second opinion if requested by the referee. In matches where a fourth official is appointed, towards the end of the half the referee will signal how many minutes remain to be played, and the fourth official then signals this to players and spectators by holding up a board showing this number. Note that there is often semantic debate as to whether the referee is "adding on" time to the end of a half, or rather treating time during stoppages as though it never existed as part of the match time; this distinction has little bearing on the practical conduct of a game, however it may be noted that the pre-1997 wording of the laws stated that the referee "shall ... allow the full or agreed time adding thereto all time lost through injury or accident" (Law V), and later FIFA guidelines regarding the annotation of goal scoring times suggested that time is indeed "added-on" to the end of the agreed half period.

Starts and re-starts

Each playing period in football commences with a kick-off, which is a set kick from the centre-spot by one team. At kick-off all players are required to be in their half of the field, and all players of the non-kicking team must also remain outside the centre-circle, until the ball is kicked and moved. Kick-offs are also used to restart play following a goal. From the initial kick-off of a period until the end of that period, the ball is "in play" at all times until the end of the playing period, except when the ball leaves the field of play or play is stopped by the referee; in these cases play is re-started by one of the following eight methods: kick-off
- Kick-off: following a goal by the opposing team, or to begin each period of play. ([http://www.fifa.com/en/laws/Laws8_01.htm Law 8]).
- Throw-in: when the ball has wholly crossed the touchline; awarded to opposing team to that which last touched the ball. ([http://www.fifa.com/en/laws/Laws15_01.htm Law 15]).
- Goal kick: when the ball has wholly crossed the goal line without a goal having been scored and having last been touched by an attacker; awarded to defending team. ([http://www.fifa.com/en/laws/Laws16_01.htm Law 16]).
- Corner kick: when the ball has wholly crossed the goal line without a goal having been scored and having last been touched by a defender; awarded to attacking team. ([http://www.fifa.com/en/laws/Laws17_01.htm Law 17]).
- Indirect free kick: awarded to the opposing team following "non-penal" fouls, certain technical infringements, or when play is stopped to caution/send-off an opponent without a specific foul having occurred. ([http://www.fifa.com/en/laws/Laws13_01.htm Law 13]).
- Direct free kick: awarded to fouled team following certain listed "penal" fouls. ([http://www.fifa.com/en/laws/Laws13_01.htm Law 13]).
- Penalty kick: awarded to fouled team following "penal" foul having occurred in their opponent's penalty area. ([http://www.fifa.com/en/laws/Laws14_01.htm Law 14]).
- Dropped-ball: occurs when the referee has stopped play for any other reason (e.g. a serious injury to a player, interference by an external party, or a ball becoming defective). ([http://www.fifa.com/en/laws/Laws8_03.htm Law 8]).

Fouls and misconduct

A foul occurs when a player (not a substitute) commits a specific offence listed in the Laws of the Game, against an opponent, when the ball is in play. The offences that constitute a foul are mainly listed in Law 12. "Penal fouls", for example handling the ball, tripping an opponent, pushing an opponent, etc, are punishable by a direct free kick or penalty kick depending on where the offence occurred. Other fouls are punishable by an indirect free kick. Misconduct may occur at any time, and need not be against an opponent. Substitutes may commit misconduct. Whilst the offences that constitute misconduct are listed, the definitions are broad. In particular, the offence of "unsporting behaviour" may be used to deal with most events that violate the spirit of the game, even if they are not listed as specific offences. Misconduct may be punished by a caution (yellow card) or sending-off (red card).

Offside

The offside law limits the ability of attacking players to remain forward (i.e. closer to the opponent's goal-line) of both the ball and the second last defending player. It is often assumed that the purpose of this law is to prevent "goal scrounging" or "cherry picking", but in fact the offside law has similar roots to the offside law in rugby (see full article). The details and application of this law are complex, and often result in controversy: for more information on offside please refer to the main article above.

Governing bodies

The recognised international governing body of football (and associated games, such as futsal and beach soccer) is the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA). Six regional confederations are associated with FIFA; these are:
- Asia: Asian Football Confederation (AFC)
- Africa: Confederation of African Football (CAF)
- Central/North America & Caribbean: Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF; also known as The Football Confederation)
- Europe: Union of European Football Associations (UEFA)
- Oceania: Oceania Football Confederation (OFC)
- South America: Confederación Sudamericana de Fútbol (South American Football Confederation; CONMEBOL) The recognised various national associations (see football around the world) oversee football within their jurisdictions. These are affiliated both with FIFA directly and also with their respective continental confederations. Note that the Laws of the Game are not maintained by FIFA itself; rather they are maintained by the International Football Association Board, as discussed in the history and development section above.

Major international competitions

Worldwide international competitions

The major international competition in football is the World Cup organised by FIFA. This competition takes place over a four-year period. Over 190 national teams compete in regional qualifying tournaments for a place in the finals. The finals tournament, which is held every four years, now involves 32 national teams (increased from 24 in 1998) competing over a four-week period. There has been a football tournament at the Summer Olympic Games since 1900, except at the 1932 games in Los Angeles. Originally this was for amateurs only, however since the 1984 Summer Olympics professionals have been permitted as well, albeit with certain restrictions which effectively prevent countries from fielding their strongest sides Currently, the Olympic men's tournament is played at Under-23 level with a restricted number of over-age players per team; consequently the competition is not generally considered to carry the same international significance and prestige as the World Cup. A women's tournament was added in 1996; in contrast to the men's event, the women's Olympic tournament is played by full international sides without age restrictions. It thus carries international prestige considered comparable to that of the FIFA Women's World Cup.

Major international competitions

The major international competitions of the world and the continental confederations, followed by their major club events where appropriate, are:
- World: FIFA World Cup; FIFA Club World Championship
- Europe: European Championship; UEFA Champions League
- South America: Copa América; Copa Libertadores
- Africa: African Nations Cup; CAF Champions League
- Asia: Asian Cup; AFC Champions League
- North/Central America & Caribbean: CONCACAF Gold Cup; CONCACAF Champions Cup
- Oceania: Oceania Nations Cup; Oceania Club Championship

Names of the game

Oceania Club Championship] The rules of football were codified in England by the Football Association in 1863, and the name association football was coined to distinguish the game from the other forms of football played at the time, specifically rugby football. The term soccer first appeared in the 1880s as a slang abbreviation of Association football. Today the sport is known by a number of names throughout the English-speaking world, the most common being football and soccer; this has generated debate regarding the "correct" name for the sport. The term used depends largely on the need to differentiate the sport from other codes of football followed in a community. Football is the term used by FIFA, the sport's world governing body, and the International Olympic Committee. For more details of naming throughout the world, please refer to the main articles above.

Chelsea F.C.

Chelsea Football Club (also known as the Blues, previously known as the Pensioners, a reference to the Chelsea pensioners), founded in 1905, is a Premier League football team that plays at the Stamford Bridge football ground in south-west London. Chelsea are the reigning English champions and are currently at the top of the FA Premier League. Despite its name, the club is based just outside the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. It is on the Fulham Road, which runs between Fulham and Chelsea.

History

Stamford Bridge

For main article see Stamford Bridge. Stamford Bridge officially opened on 28 April 1877. For the first 28 years of its existence it was used almost exclusively by the London Athletic Club as an arena for athletics meetings and not at all for football. In 1904 the ground was acquired by H A (Gus) Mears and his brother, J T Mears, who had previously acquired additional land (formerly a large market garden) with the aim of accommodating a football team there on the now 12.5 acre (51,000 m²) site. The Mears family remained the owners of the ground (and subsequently the Club) until the 1970s. Stamford Bridge was designed for the Mears family by Archibald Leitch. They offered the stadium to Fulham Football Club, but the offer was turned down. As a consequence, the owners decided to form their own Football Club to occupy their new ground. Most football clubs were founded first, and then sought grounds in which to play, but Chelsea was founded for Stamford Bridge. Although technically in Fulham, the founders decided to adopt the name of the adjacent borough of Chelsea for the new club as there was already a Fulham Football Club in existence.

Early years (1905-1955)

Chelsea F.C. was founded on March 14 1905 at The Rising Sun pub (now The Butcher's Hook) opposite today's main entrance to the ground on the Fulham Road. This was followed by the club's election into the Second Division at the Football League AGM on May 29, 1905. Chelsea's first match took place away at Stockport County on September 2, 1905. They lost the game 1-0. Their first home match was against Liverpool in a friendly. They won 4-0. The Club began with established players recruited from other teams and promotion to the top flight was swift, but the club's early years brought no trophies. Chelsea reached the FA Cup final in 1915 but lost out to Sheffield United. They would have to wait a further forty years for their first major honour. However, they consistently attracted enormous crowds. 77,952 attended the fourth round FA Cup tie against Swindon on 13 April 1911, and 82,905 attended the league game against Arsenal on 12 October 1935. Safety considerations make such attendances impossible now: the current legal capacity of the stadium is 42,522. In 1952, Ted Drake was appointed manager. One of his first actions was to remove the image of a Chelsea pensioner from the match programme and the club's old nickname was no more. In 1954-5, Chelsea won the First Divsion title under Drake with a team that included captain and top-scorer (with 22 league goals) Roy Bentley, goalkeeper Charlie 'Chic' Thomson, left-half Derek Saunders, inside-right Johnny 'Jock' McNichol, right-half Ken Armstrong, outside-left Frank Blunstone, full-back Peter Sillett and future England manager Ron Greenwood at centre-half. Though Chelsea were only 12th in the table in November, they secured the title with a game to spare after a 3-0 win against Sheffield Wednesday. Key to the success were two league wins against eventual runners-up Wolverhampton Wanderers and a ten-game unbeaten streak in the title run-in. Chelsea's points total of 52 for that season remains the lowest to have secured the English League title. That same season saw the club complete a unique quadruple, with the reserve, 'A' and junior sides also winning their respective leagues. Winning the Championship should have ensured that Chelsea became the first English participants in the inaugural European Cup competition the following season. However, they were denied by the intervention of the Football League and the F.A., many of whose leading members were opposed to the idea and felt primacy should be given to domestic competitions, so the club withdrew. The club were unable to build on their title success, however, and there followed a succession of uninspiring mid-table finishes. This run culminated in relegation from the First Division in 1962 and the departure of Drake, who was replaced by player-coach Tommy Docherty. In his first season as manager Docherty led Chelsea to promotion.

Sixties to eighties (1960-1989)

The swinging 60s ushered in an era that saw football and inimitable style merge in the heart of London; with the fashionable King's Road at the heart of the swagger. A 60s Chelsea that oozed charisma and class ultimately failed to match its swagger with on-field triumphs. No major domestic titles were won, except for the League Cup in 1965 (Chelsea's first League Cup), followed by an FA Cup final loss to Tottenham Hotspur in 1967. The early 1970s saw a great Chelsea team which is still fondly remembered (not least because it was a couple of decades before its achievements were matched at the club): it featured the likes of Ron 'Chopper' Harris, Ian Hutchison, Charlie Cooke and Peter Osgood. In 1970 Chelsea ran out FA Cup winners (beating Leeds 2-1 in a pulsating final replay at Old Trafford). A UEFA Cup Winners' Cup triumph was added to the haul the following year—Chelsea's first European honour. The club also reached a second League Cup final in 1972, though lost out to Stoke City. But there was no further success in that decade, as the discipline of the team degenerated and an over-ambitious redevelopment of the stadium (which only got as far as the pioneering East Stand, which retains its place even in the modern stadium) threatened the financial stability of the club as well. Further problems were caused by a fearsome reputation for violence amongst a section of the supporters (the boundary between passion and hooliganism being dangerously narrow in those days) and the club started to fall apart both on and off the field. The financial problems exacerbated the club's other difficulties and a spiral of decline began. Star players were sold off, the team was relegated, and the freehold of the stadium site was sold off to property developers, which was to create serious problems in the years to come. As always, however, Chelsea retained its high profile; and its widespread base of supporters, many of them very hard core, saw it through what proved to be the very difficult years of the 1970s and 1980s. However, although relegated to the Second Division twice, it never fell further (although it came dangerously close). Chelsea was, at the nadir of its fortunes, acquired from the Mears family interests by Ken Bates for the princely sum of £1, and Bates proved to be a real fighter as the new chairman, although his opponents included supporters (who did not take kindly to his suggestion of electrified fences to keep them off the pitch) as well as the property developers who now owned the freehold. In 1992, Bates finally outmanoeuvred the latter and reunited the freehold with the Club, by seeing the property developers go bust and doing a deal with their banks. In the meantime, Chelsea, having spent the early part of the decade in the Second Division, were promoted as champions in 1984, achieved two consecutive top six finishes in the First Division (with an impressive team which included the likes of Kerry Dixon, Pat Nevin and David Speedie), were relegated in 1988 and finally won promotion to the First Division as champions again in 1989. This time, it managed to stay in the top flight: indeed, it has remained there ever since.

The 1990s: back on track

Chelsea had an impressive return to the First Division in 1989-90. Manager Bobby Campbell guided a squad of mostly unremarkable players to a creditable fifth place in the final table. Although the ban on English clubs in European football was lifted that year, Chelsea missed out on a UEFA Cup place because the only English place in the competition that year went to runners-up Aston Villa. Campbell resigned a year later and he was replaced by Ian Porterfield, who helped Chelsea finish high enough in 1991-92 to qualify for the first-ever season of the Premier League. He quit halfway through the season and was replaced on a caretaker basis by former Chelsea hero David Webb, who guided Chelsea to an 11th place finish. Webb was replaced at the end of the season by 35-year-old former England midfielder Glenn Hoddle, who had just won promotion to the Premiership as player-manager of Swindon Town. Hoddle's first season as manager saw Chelsea's league form dip slightly, but they reached the FA Cup final—and, although they lost 4-0 by Manchester United (who were awarded two penalties), this was sufficient to qualify Chelsea to compete in Europe for the 1994-95 Cup Winners Cup (since Manchester United had independently qualified for the Champions League). They reached the semifinals of the competition and went out by one goal to eventual winners Real Zaragoza. Chelsea now had a decent squad with several top class players, the most significant of which was courageous captain Dennis Wise. But chairman Ken Bates and director Matthew Harding were making millions of pounds available for the club to spend on players, and two world-famous players were signed in the summer of 1995 - Dutch legend Ruud Gullit (free transfer from Sampdoria) and Manchester United's high scoring striker Mark Hughes (£1.5million). Hoddle guided Chelsea to another 11th place finish in 1995-96 and then quit to become manager of the England team. Gullit was appointed player-manager for the 1996-97 season, and had an impressive first season in management by winning the FA Cup (and finishing sixth in the Premiership). The 2-0 victory over Middlesbrough at Wembley ended Chelsea's 26-year wait for a trophy, and was a happy end to a season which had looked to be dominated by sadness after the death in October of director and financial benefactor Matthew Harding in a helicopter crash. Gullit was suddenly sacked in February 1998 with Chelsea set for a top-five Premiership finish, and another player-manager was appointed—33-year-old Italian striker Gianluca Vialli. Vialli began his management career in style with victory in the Cup Winners Cup and the League Cup. He also guided Chelsea to a third-place finish in the 1998-99 Premiership campaign, high enough for a first-ever appearance in the Champions League. Vialli also guided Chelsea to another FA Cup victory in 2000. By now, Chelsea had a top-notch multi-national squad which included the likes of Italian striker Gianfranco Zola, Dutch goalkeeper Ed de Goey, Nigerian full-back Celestine Babayaro, Italian midfielder Roberto di Matteo and French centre-half Frank Leboeuf.

The new millennium: glory days

Frank Leboeuf]] Vialli was dismissed in September 2000 and replaced by another Italian, Claudio Ranieri—who guided them to another FA Cup final in 2002 but was unable to prevent them from losing to double winners Arsenal. Ken Bates unexpectedly sold Chelsea F.C. in June 2003 for £60 million, making a personal profit of £17 million on the club he had bought for £1 in 1982 (his stake had been diluted to just below 30% over the years). The club's new owner was Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, who also took on responsibility for the club's £80 million of debt, quickly paying off most of it. He then went on a £100 million spending spree before the start of the season and landed players like Claude Makélélé, Glen Johnson, Joe Cole and Damien Duff. The spending saw a good return, with Chelsea finishing the Premiership runners-up and reaching the Champions League semifinals after beating Arsenal in the quarterfinals. But Ranieri was sacked after ending the season trophyless, and Abramovich recruited José Mourinho (who had lifted two Portuguese league titles, a Portuguese Cup, a European Cup and a UEFA Cup with FC Porto) as the club's new manager. 2004-05 was the most successful season in the history of Chelsea Football Club. They secured the Premiership title in a record breaking season by gaining 95 points from 38 fixtures (ending a 50-year wait for the title with the highest Premiership points total for a 38 game season), along with setting records for: most wins (29), fewest goals against (15) and most clean sheets (25) in a 38 game season. All this in the season that also saw "The Blues" lift the League Cup. Mourinho was regarded by many as one of the best managers in the world, and many of Chelsea's players were also critically acclaimed by journalists and supporters alike and figured prominently in the English national side (and other national sides). In addition to the two major trophies won, Chelsea reached the semifinals of the Champions League, losing to the eventual winners Liverpool to whom they had conceded only one goal.

Current season: 2005-2006

Chelsea has signed two new sponsorship deals: a new kit deal with adidas, effective with the 2006/07 season, and a £50m five-year sponsorship deal with Korean electronics company Samsung. The deal is the biggest in English football. They have also acquired a trio of high-profile signings, Basque left-back Asier Del Horno from Athletic Bilbao, England winger Shaun Wright-Phillips from Manchester City, and Ghana midfielder Michael Essien from Olympique Lyon.

Players

Current squad

This is the current Chelsea playing staff. The players are allocated in the same way as they are on the official site [http://www.chelseafc.com/article.asparticle=249900&Title=Squad&lid=Navigation+-+Players&sub=Squad&nav=&sublid=]. Some players can play in more than one position and players who are not in the first team squad are not barred from making first team appearances, as English football does not employ a closed squad system. First team squad ;Players out on loan Other players with professional contracts:
- 31 20px Scott Sinclair
- 32 Scott Sinclair Steven Watt
- 41 20px Yves Ma-Kalambay
- 42 Yves Ma-Kalambay Anthony Grant
- 43 20px Jonas Elmer Chelsea also employ a number of young players on trainee contracts.

Notable players

1900s: William 'Fatty' Foulke, George 'Gatling Gun' Hilsdon, Robert McRoberts, John Tait Robertson, Ben Warren 1910s: Jack Harrow, Nils Middelboe, Robert Whittingham 1920s: Ben Howard Baker, Jack Cock, Tommy Law, Tommy Meehan, GR Mills, Jack Townrow, Bob Turnbull, Andrew Wilson 1930s: Hughie Gallacher, Sam Weaver, Vic Woodley, George Mills 1940s: John Harris, Tommy Lawton, Willi Steffen 1950s: Ken Armstrong, Roy Bentley, Jimmy Greaves, Johnny 'Jock' McNichol, Eric Parsons, Peter Sillett 1960s: Frank Blunstone, Peter Bonetti, George Graham, Eddie McCreadie, Ken Shellito, Bobby Tambling, Terry Venables 1970s: Charlie Cooke, Ron Harris, John Hollins, Alan Hudson, Ian Hutchinson, Peter Osgood, David Webb, Ray Wilkins 1980s: Paul Canoville, Kerry Dixon, Gordon Durie, Eddie Niedzwiecki, Pat Nevin, Nigel Spackman, David Speedie, Clive Walker 1990s: Craig Burley, Steve Clarke, Ed de Goey, Roberto Di Matteo, Albert Ferrer, Tore André Flo, Ruud Gullit, Glenn Hoddle, Mark Hughes, Frank Leboeuf, Graeme Le Saux, Dan Petrescu, Gustavo Poyet, Gianluca Vialli, George Weah, Dennis Wise, Gianfranco Zola 2000s: Petr Čech, Joe Cole, Hernan Crespo, Carlo Cudicini, Marcel Desailly, Didier Drogba, Damien Duff, Eidur Gudjohnsen , Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Slavisa Jokanovic, Frank Lampard, Claude Makelele, Arjen Robben, John Terry

Chelsea player of the year (1967-2005)

Managers

Records

Honours

- League Championship
- Winners: 1955, 2005
- Runners-Up: 2004
- 2nd Division
- Winners: 1984, 1989
- Runners-Up: 1907, 1912, 1930, 1963, 1977
- FA Cup
- Winners: 1970, 1997, 2000
- Runners-Up: 1915, 1967, 1994, 2002
- League Cup
- Winners: 1965, 1998, 2005
- Runners-Up: 1972
- FA Charity Shield/Community Shield
- Winners: 1956, 2000, 2005
- Runners-Up: 1971, 1997
- Full Members' Cup
- Winners: 1986, 1990
- UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
- Winners: 1971, 1998
- UEFA Super Cup
- Winners: 1998
- FA Youth Cup
- Winners: 1960, 1961
- Runners-Up: 1958

Club Records

- Record League Victory: 9-2 v Glossop, Division 2, 1 September, 1906
- Record Cup Victory: 13-0 v Jeunesse Hautcharage, Cup Winners' Cup, 1st Round 2nd Leg, 29 September 1971
- Record Defeat: 1-8 v Wolverhampton Wanderers, Division 1, 26 September 1953
- Record Cup Defeat: 0-6 v Sheffield Wednesday, FA Cup Round 2 Replay, 5 February 1913
- Most League Points (2 for a win): 57, Division 2, 1906-1907
- Most League Points (3 for a win): 99, Division 2, 1988-1989
- Most League Goals: 98, Division 1, 1960-1961
- Highest League Scorer in Season: Jimmy Greaves, 41, 1960-1961
- Most League Goals in Total Aggregate: Bobby Tambling, 164, 1958-1970
- Most League Goals in One Match:
- 5, George Hilsdon v Glossop, Division 2, 1 September, 1906
- 5, Jimmy Greaves v Wolverhampton Wanderers, Division 1, 30 August, 1958
- 5, Jimmy Greaves v Preston North End, Division 1, 19 December, 1959
- 5, Jimmy Greaves v West Bromwich Albion, Division 1, 3 December, 1960
- 5, Bobby Tambling v Aston Villa, Division 1, 17 September, 1966
- 5, Gordon Durie v Walsall, Division 2, 4 February, 1989
- All-time top goalscorers:
- 202, Bobby Tambling (1958-70)
- 193, Kerry Dixon (1983-92)
- 150, Roy Bentley (1948-56)
- 150, Peter Osgood (1964-74 & 1978-9)
- 130,

José Mourinho

Career

Early years

Benfica and Leiria

Porto

Chelsea

Quotes

See also

January 26

Events

Births

1497 to 1899

1900 to 1999

Deaths

1630 to 1899

1900 to 2005

Holidays and observances

External links

Setúbal

Parishes

City Info

External links

Football (soccer)

Nature of the game

The Laws of the Game

History and development

Overview of the Laws

Players and equipment

Officials

Playing field

Duration

Standard durations

Extra time and shootouts

Golden and silver goal experiments

Referee as official timekeeper

Starts and re-starts

Fouls and misconduct

Offside

Governing bodies

Major international competitions

Worldwide international competitions

Major international competitions

Names of the game

See also

Other varieties of the game

Teams and players

Gameplay

Miscellaneous

Further reading

External links

Chelsea F.C.

History

Stamford Bridge

Early years (1905-1955)

Sixties to eighties (1960-1989)

The 1990s: back on track

The new millennium: glory days

Current season: 2005-2006

Players

Current squad

Notable players

Chelsea player of the year (1967-2005)

Managers

Records

Honours

Club Records