Jose
Mourinho accepts winning the Champions League remains a prime target at
Chelsea but says such a feat is "always difficult".
The Blues boss is confident his team can improve on the current campaign, in
which they won the Premier League by a margin of eight points but were
knocked out of European competition by Paris St Germain and beaten in the FA
Cup by Bradford City at Stamford Bridge.
If they are to make strides forward, Chelsea must do so initially without
Brazilians Willian and Filipe Luis as well as Colombian midfielder Juan
Cuadrado as they would need rest after the Copa America.
Having won the Champions League with Porto in 2004 and Inter Milan in 2010,
Mourinho would dearly love to take the title to west London but accepts the
challenge is a tough one.
"It's always difficult to win the Champions League, which is why all the big
guys don't do it seven, eight times in their careers," he said.
"This season we were better than last season and next season we hope to be
better than this season. Hopefully we get our chance.”
Mourinho has already started to plan for next year’s campaign with the
confirmation that elder statesman Didier Drogba will be released to pursue
one final year of football elsewhere.
And although his side’s success was based around the ever-present John Terry
at the heart of its defence, there is a feeling Chelsea are moving towards a
younger squad.
Seventeen-year-old striker Dominic Solanke scored 41 goals at youth and
reserve level last season and the Blues also welcome back Patrick Bamford
from a very productive loan spell at Middlesbrough.
"Enjoying football is winning," said Mourinho. "That's what I want to do for
the rest of my career. This season was a great example, it was a third
Premier League for me but a first for many of our young players.
"To see their pride and to see the fans going back to victories is the
reason I am in the game."
Mourinho was also asked if he had a message for Arsene Wenger following
Arsenal’s victory in the FA Cup final, to which he replied: “Yes. Enjoy.”
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