Jose Mourinho: Premier League says Chelsea story 'a mistake'
The Premier League says a story on its website announcing the return of Mourinho to Chelsea was an "error".
The Premier League says a story on its website announcing the return of former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho to Stamford Bridge was a "publishing error".
The story appeared on the Premier League website on Sunday with Monday's date and was later removed.
"Portuguese coach is back at Stamford Bridge after signing a xx-year contract," said the headline.
When BBC Sport contacted the Premier League, it said it was an error and it had no inside knowledge of a deal.
The story went on: "Jose Mourinho returns for second stint as Chelsea manager. Portuguese signs x-year-deal."
Chelsea have made no comment.
Mourinho signed off from his three-year spell at Real Madrid on Saturday with a 4-2 win over Osasuna.
He is widely expected to return to Stamford Bridge and link up again with the club he first joined in 2004 and led to back-to-back Premier League titles in 2005 and 2006. He left to join Inter Milan in 2008.
In response to the anticipated confirmation of the Portuguese's return to west London, David Johnstone, spokesman for Chelsea fanzine cfcuk, said Mourinho could bring the club together again.
"The Chelsea players and the supporters will love him," he said. "For a lot of time since he left, supporters haven't been united. Last season saw probably the worst show of disunity I've experienced since I started following the club 40 years ago.
"Hopefully he will unite the fans.
"It will be a relief once the deal is finally announced and he will be welcomed back. He shouldn't have left in the first place and hopefully second time around it could be even better."
Following Saturday's match against Osasuna, Real defender Ricardo Carvalho, who has agreed a deal to join French side Monaco, hinted that Mourinho was heading back to London.
Carvalho played for Chelsea under Mourinho - and when asked whether they could win next season's Premier League, the defender said: "I'm sure in two, three years they can but even in his [Mourinho's] first year he can win it again.
"When we arrived together in 2004 Chelsea had not won the league for 50 years so I hope now they can win it again. Jose is a special coach and I think he deserves all the best because he works very hard."
-BBC
