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Cape Town - Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has explained the thinking
behind his decision to allow midfielder Frank Lampard to depart the
London club.
The 36-year-old departed Stamford Bridge on a free transfer at the end of the 2013/14 campaign and subsequently penned a two-year deal with Major League Soccer franchise New York City FC.
However, Lampard was soon on the move again, linking up with New York City's sister club, Manchester City, on a six-month loan agreement.
And with the former England international enjoying a successful stint at the Etihad this season, Mourinho was asked what motivated him to part ways with the midfielder.
The Portuguese tactician felt it was the right decision, arguing that keeping Lampard at Stamford Bridge would have stifled the development of their younger players.
"It's his life, nothing to do with us. He left Chelsea as a free agent and chooses his life, we can't complain about it. That's football," Football411 quotes Mourinho as saying.
"My view is that when you want to look forward, look to the future and have people like (Cesc) Fabregas and (Nemanja) Matic and Jeremie Boga (a midfielder with the under-21s) which are the next 10 years of the club.
"The project is to prepare for the next 10 years, not for the next year - we made the right decision.
"You can argue 'You have John Terry and Didier Drogba'. Different. Drogba is a striker that is coming to help and support the team.
"John Terry is the best central defender in English football and it doesn't matter how old he is.
"The nucleus of the team has to be developed and to have a big player like Frank we would stop the development of the other guys."
The 36-year-old departed Stamford Bridge on a free transfer at the end of the 2013/14 campaign and subsequently penned a two-year deal with Major League Soccer franchise New York City FC.
However, Lampard was soon on the move again, linking up with New York City's sister club, Manchester City, on a six-month loan agreement.
And with the former England international enjoying a successful stint at the Etihad this season, Mourinho was asked what motivated him to part ways with the midfielder.
The Portuguese tactician felt it was the right decision, arguing that keeping Lampard at Stamford Bridge would have stifled the development of their younger players.
"It's his life, nothing to do with us. He left Chelsea as a free agent and chooses his life, we can't complain about it. That's football," Football411 quotes Mourinho as saying.
"My view is that when you want to look forward, look to the future and have people like (Cesc) Fabregas and (Nemanja) Matic and Jeremie Boga (a midfielder with the under-21s) which are the next 10 years of the club.
"The project is to prepare for the next 10 years, not for the next year - we made the right decision.
"You can argue 'You have John Terry and Didier Drogba'. Different. Drogba is a striker that is coming to help and support the team.
"John Terry is the best central defender in English football and it doesn't matter how old he is.
"The nucleus of the team has to be developed and to have a big player like Frank we would stop the development of the other guys."
