Chelsea parts ways with Manager Jose Mourinho after terrible Premier League start

Jose Mourinho’s “palpable discord” with Chelsea players forced the soccer club to abruptly end his second spell as manager on Thursday with the London team languishing just above the relegation zone only seven months after winning the Premier League.

Mourinho’s departure came 2 1/2 years after his return to Stamford Bridge and only four months into a new four-year contract signed after winning his third league title with Chelsea.

Despite a succession of humiliating results, the 52-year-old coach had been defiantly insisting he was the right man to oversee the team.

But Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich decided he could not risk keeping the fans’ favorite in the dugout as the mid-way point of the season approaches with Chelsea in 16th place in the 20-team league. Chelsea has four wins, nine losses and three ties.

“It was a decision taken to protect the interests of the club,” Chelsea technical director Michael Emenalo said. “Whilst there is huge sentiment for the individual who has done so much for the club, the fact of the matter remains that Chelsea Football Club is in trouble.

“The results are not good. There obviously seemed to be a palpable discord between manager and players. And we feel it was time to act. The owner is forced to make what was a very tough decision for the good of the club.”

The worst-ever start for a defending champion in the Premier League was compounded on Monday by a 2-1 loss at surprise leader Leicester. After the match, Mourinho said he was “betrayed” by his players — exposing a dressing room rift.

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In the waning days of his presidency, Sepp Blatter attempted to save his job at the FIFA ethics committee he helped create and whose authority he does not recognize in his case.

The suspended FIFA president had been expected to tell four judges he is innocent of wrongdoing during the hearing at the headquarters of soccer’s governing body, the first time Blatter has entered the building in Zurich, Switzerland, since he was banned for 90 days in October.

“Blatter looks forward to a decision in his favor, because the evidence requires it,” Blatter’s lawyer, Richard Cullen, said in a statement after the hearing. “The evidence demonstrates that President Blatter behaved properly and certainly did not violate FIFA’s Code of Ethics. This investigation should be closed and the suspension lifted.”

With a large bandage on his face, Blatter arrived at FIFA headquarters shortly after 8 a.m. local time in a chauffeur-driven car for a hearing that was scheduled to start at 9 a.m. A spokesman for Blatter, Thomas Renggli, said the Swiss official had a minor procedure to treat a skin problem on his right cheek.

At 5 p.m., Blatter and lead lawyer Lorenz Erni drove away from the building without making any comment.

Blatter risks a life ban if the verdict — due early next week — is guilty for approving a payment of about $2 million from FIFA to Michel Platini in 2011. Platini has also been banned for 90 days.

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The final match of the Women’s World Cup between the United States and Japan last summer was the most-watched soccer game ever in the United States. FIFA released the final report on television viewing for the 2015 Women’s World Cup in Canada.

Overall, a record 764 million in-home TV viewers globally tuned in for at least one minute or more, according to FIFA and KantarSport. In terms of FIFA competitions, the women’s tournament is now second only to the men’s World Cup in worldwide viewership.

Additionally, the report noted that 86 million viewers globally accessed matches on computers or mobile devices.