We all scratched our heads when it was announced that Chelsea FC legend Frank Lampard decided to make the move up north to join Manchester City. It appears that his old manager Jose Mourinho was just as confused as the rest of us when he spoke about Lampard’s move in his interview on Goals on Sunday. Mourinho explained that he was surprised because he assumed that Frank Lampard would go off to play in America for a few years and come back ready to join the Chelsea front office.
More from The Pride of London
- Bournemouth 0-0 Chelsea player ratings: Abysmal, reckless, wasteful
- Bournemouth 0-0 Chelsea: 3 Blues talking points
- Bournemouth vs Chelsea: 1 Blue Mauricio Pochettino should drop
- Bournemouth vs Chelsea: 3 Blues who must start
- Predicted Chelsea lineup vs Bournemouth: Palmer starts in 4-2-3-1
Mourinho has spoken about the subject at length and one of the things he points out is the Lampard chose to leave Chelsea, not the other way around. Frank was offered another one year deal but chose to depart and sign with City instead. Mourinho said, “First of all, I think the motivation Frank has to have this role at City wouldn’t be the same motivation he has to have the same role at Chelsea. Secondly, we open the door for him to choose his future and we thought he’d go to the States and would come back after a couple of years to do what he wants.”
He went on to discuss what Lampard’s place at the club would have been had things gone according to plan and said, “He could have come back as first-team coach, a scout, a director of football. Anything he wanted. We would have found a new department for him! What he did for Chelsea for more than one decade was something amazing. We were surprised by his decision to join Manchester but I would never criticise his option.”
So is it official now that Frank Lampard will not be welcomed back to Stamford Bridge? Well not quite. Ideally he would have left to NYC FC or some other MLS team for 3-4 years, played high level football, won a MLS Cup or two, and came back to join Mourinho’s coaching staff. That may still happen after his short spell at City but now is not the time to talk about it.
The wounds are still fresh from Lampard’s equalizer at the Etihad and the whole fiasco surrounding his signing made things all that much worse. Even if he is one of the best players Mourinho has ever managed, and Jose said so himself, it is still hard to see him make that fairy tale return to Chelsea at this moment. After a few years, and hopefully after Chelsea win the title this season, all can be forgiven between Lampard and the supporters.
More from Chelsea FC News
- Bournemouth vs Chelsea: 1 Blue Mauricio Pochettino should drop
- Bournemouth vs Chelsea: 3 Blues who must start
- Predicted Chelsea lineup vs Bournemouth: Palmer starts in 4-2-3-1
- Chelsea sporting directors finally reveal why they sign so many young players
- These 3 new signings may never get a game at Chelsea
Jose Mourinho appears not to be bothered by his former player’s decision to head up north but there is still a bitter taste in the mouths of many fans. Lampard will always be a Chelsea legend and may even get a statue outside the ground one day, but at this moment in time he is the enemy. He is not just the enemy at some other Premier League club, but he has played a big role in Manchester City’s title chase and will receive a great deal of credit if they somehow pip the Blues to the title.