LONDON • Jose Mourinho has revealed that he will quit as Chelsea manager if he does not have his players' trust despite being given a stay of execution after a late-night board meeting.
The Portuguese was grilled over his team's ailing form by the club's hierarchy at Stamford Bridge on Sunday - a day after their tumultuous 3-1 defeat by Southampton.
The champions have lost half their league games and are in 16th place - 10 points behind leaders Manchester City.
Mourinho - who on Saturday vowed not to walk away from Chelsea - still retains the support of Blues owner Roman Abramovich.
But he has invited his players to decide whether they still want him in charge.
"Ask the players. If they tell you they don't trust me, it is the only thing that can make me resign - the only thing," Mourinho said.
"Ask the players and not go with, sources and fake sources and the players told a friend and the friend told the agent and the agent is not happy with me because I don't play his player.'
"Get a table at Cobham (Chelsea's training ground) next week. John Terry doesn't go to the national team, Diego Costa doesn't go, Ramires doesn't go.
"(We can) put two or three guys at your disposal and ask them.
"If they tell you they don't trust me, it is the only thing that can make me resign.
"But not fake sources. The players at the table, face to face."
Terry, who lost his regular place but was recalled to the side on Saturday, chose the club's website to show his support for his manager.
The captain's message was that Mourinho was the "best manager who we remain behind and we remain together. That is what you do in tough circumstances".
"I have been here a long time and I have seen managers come and go and, if anyone is going to get us out of this hole, it is going to be Jose Mourinho", he added of the man who brought an unprecedented three league titles to the club.
Terry and Chelsea once had to deny that the defender had contributed significantly to Mourinho's exit as manager in 2007 - a claim made in former Blues midfielder Claude Makelele's autobiography.
Chelsea players, however, have had a hand in the dismissals of Luiz Felipe Scolari and Andre Villas-Boas.
THE TIMES, LONDON
