(CNN) — Jose Mourinho isn’t special anymore.
Widely regarded as one of the world’s best soccer coaches, Chelsea has sacked the Portuguese manager after an awful run of form left the English Premier League champion with no chance of retaining its title.
But Mourinho was so much more than just a football manager.
Brands flocked to him, attracted by his swagger, but just importantly his ability to deliver outrageously provocative quotes. He was a man you either loved or hated.
So in April, Mourinho told one British newspaper that he was such a good manager that he was “getting better at everything related to my job,” which gives you an inkling that the 52-year-old didn’t do self doubt.
At that time he was preparing to celebrate Chelsea’s triumph in winning the English Premier League title, but that jauntiness has long since disappeared as this serial winner has had to watch his side implode during the 2015-16 campaign.
Though Chelsea has qualified for the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League, Monday’s 2-1 domestic defeat by Leicester left the Blues languishing one point above the relegation places. It was the club’s ninth league defeat of the season.
It is the second time Mourinho has been relieved of his duties at Stamford Bridge, with billionaire club owner Roman Abramovich also wielding the axe in 2007.
His sacking signals a remarkable fall from grace for a man regarded as one of the world’s leading soccer coaches — Mourinho has also won league titles in Italy, Spain and Portugal, plus two European Champions League triumphs with Porto and Inter Milan.
He returned to England in June 2013 after a tumultuous spell at Real Madrid, where he described his final season as the worst in his career after failing to win a trophy.
Mourinho signed a four-year deal at Chelsea, and the team finished third in his first season back before ending a five-year wait to win the domestic championship.
However, this season has been more difficult, with Mourinho embroiled in a controversy that led to the departure of Chelsea’s female team doctor Eva Carneiro.
He has been twice fined by the English Football Association — for a total of £90,000 ($135,000) — and given a one-match stadium ban for incidents during and after matches with Southampton and West Ham.
Chelsea have lost nine league matches this campaign, more than in the previous two seasons combined, and sit 20 points off the top. Its most recent reverse came at leaders Leicester on Monday
After the game he told reporters he felt “betrayed” by his players, who had failed to carry out his tactical instructions.
“One of my best qualities is to read the game for my players and I feel like my work was betrayed,” Mourinho told Sky Sports.
“One possibility is that I did an amazing job last season and brought the players to a level that is not their level and now they can’t maintain it.”
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When asked after the game if he thought he would be given more time to turn things around he told reporters:
When asked after the Leicester defeat if he could hold on to his job, Mourinho said: “The only thing I can say is that I want to.
“I have no doubts and I think you know me well enough, three years this time, plus three years another time, that I am not afraid of a big challenge, and in this moment this is a real big challenge.
“I want to stay, I hope Mr Abramovich and the board want me to stay.”
The club gave the 52-year-old a vote of confidence in October, saying he had the board’s full support even though they admitted that results hadn’t been good enough.
Since then Chelsea have suffered five more defeats in the Premier League, and could drop into the relegation zone if it is beaten by Sunderland on Saturday and other results don’t go its way.
