We take a look at the players who featured in Jose Mourinho’s final game in charge of Chelsea in 2007 … as he gets set to embark on his second spell at the club.
Jose Mourinho will return to Chelsea this summer and with that in mind we thought it would be interesting to see who played in the final fixture of his first reign at the club.
The game in question was a disappointing 1-1 draw at home to Rosenborg BK in the Champions League; where Andriy Shevchenko scored an equaliser to spare the teams blushes in front of a half-empty crowd of 25,000 in September 2007.
Two days later Mourinho left … so where are the players from that night?
Petr Cech
Still the number one goalkeeper at Stamford Bridge and one of the most trusted players of Mourinho’s previous reign at the club.
Juliano Belletti
Left London in 2010 to return home with Fluminense. He retired 12 days after signing for fellow Brazilian outfit Ceara citing a long-term Achilles problem.
John Terry
Still the club captain but his stock fell last season after injury problems.
Does Mourinho still have long-term plans for one of his previous favourites?
Alex
His career really took off after Mourinho actually left the Bridge. He moved to PSG last summer under Carlo Ancelotti and is expected to depart again in 2013; with homesickness likely to see him return to Brazil.
Ashley Cole
Another player who remains with the club and will surely be utilised once again by Mourinho in 2013-14.
Joe Cole
Arguably he had his best years under the management of Mourinho.
Injury and fitness have taken their toll and after an unsuccessful spell with Liverpool he is back with boyhood club West Ham.
Claude Makelele
Developer of the ‘Makelele Role’ this was his last season at Chelsea. He moved to PSG where he is now assistant to Ancelotti.
Michael Essien
Spent this season on loan at Madrid and is therefore expected to feature for the Chelsea first-team once again next season.
Florent Malouda
The Frenchman’s career at Chelsea has just ended on a sour note. Banished to the youth team for an entire season his contract has just expired and he is a free agent.
Andriy Shevchenko
The player that apparently caused the first ructions between Mourinho and Abramovich. He scored one of his few goals for Chelsea in this game making him the last player to score under Mourinho’s reign.
Retired last summer after starring for Ukraine at Euro 2012.
Salamon Kalou
Released last summer and has gone on to become one of Ligue 1’s most lethal players at Lille. Linked with a move back to the Premier League this summer.
SUBS
Carlo Cudicini
Left Chelsea for Spurs in 2009 and is now goalkeeper for MLS outfit LA Galaxy.
Tal Ben-Haim
One of Mourinho’s more bizarre transfers. The bullish Israeli went on to play for Manchester City, Sunderland, Portsmouth, West Ham and QPR since this game.
Currently in protracted transfer negotiations with MLS side Toronto FC.
Shaun Wright-Phillips
Another player whose career has just nosedived in recent years. Now at QPR in The Championship.
Steve Sidwell
Arrived along with Ben-Haim as part of Chelsea’s drive to reduce costs with Bosman signings. The former Reading player left at the end of the season for Aston Villa and is now a regular for Fulham.
John Obi Mikel
The Nigerian has become a regular fixture in the Chelsea team and Mourinho will look forward to seeing how he has developed from the gangly 20-year-old he left behind.
Paulo Ferreira
As Mourinho arrives one of his old favourites leaves. Ferreira retired from football this summer.
Lee Sawyer
This Chelsea youngster didn’t make the grade at the club and is currently playing for Woking in the Conference National.
Do you remember the game? What are your memories of that night?
image: © Gummo
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