Abramovich gets coach for free

Chelsea owner saves 14 million euros on the arrival of coach José Mourinho

Russian billionaire and Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has been trying for weeks to bring back to the club one of the best coaches in the world, José Mourinho. Real Madrid, where the Portuguese still had a contract until 2015, would have required a 14-million-euro release fee. But only until yesterday. Mourinho agreed with the management of the “White Ballet” to terminate his contract, and from June he is free. “This agreement is advantageous for Mourinho as well as for Real Madrid. Real will not pay anything for the early termination of the contract, and Mourinho can go wherever he wants for free,” football agent Jozef Tokos told the Economic Daily.

The 50-year-old Portuguese is the best-paid coach in the world; according to the portal therichest.org, he earned over 14 million euros last season. According to the British media, his return to Chelsea after six years is already a done deal. The London club is expected to officially confirm him as head coach of Chelsea on June 2, the day after Real Madrid’s final match of the season — which Mourinho himself described as the worst of his career so far.