Mourinho blast for sacked star

Jose Mourinho has launched an outspoken attack on Adrian Mutu.

The talented Romanian striker was shown towards the exit at Stamford Bridge on Friday for gross misconduct following his failed drug test.

Mutu's agents have since lambasted the West London giants but Mourinho is fully behind the club's decision to dispose of the big-money signing.

The cocksure Portuguese taskmaster believes Mutu has let down legions of the club's young fans and is scathing in his criticism.

''The thing that concerns me most is that this is his private life,'' said Mourinho. ''Players for big teams have a very big responsibility.

''I can imagine how disappointed thousands of Romanian kids are. Adrian is the best player in Romania, he is their captain, their star.

''Thousands of kids are in love with him. He has a big responsibility to them. His situation is not easy. He has personal problems.

''But now it is finished between us. Even if he comes back to football I wouldn't sign him.

''Not just because of the drugs but because he called me a liar.''

Mourinho continued to reveal that he had major concerns over Mutu's private life since the moment he arrived at Stamford Bridge and that he even challenged the forward on the first day of training in pre-season.

''When I met Mutu on his first day in pre-season, he was with his agents, Mr Becali and Mr Popescu. I told them 'I have information you are on cocaine','' continued Mourinho.

''All three laughed and denied it. They said it was all a big lie and maybe there are lies about him because last season he behaved strangely at the club and in his social life.

''After that, I didn't speak with him again because they denied the situation.

''But for a long time, we felt now and again he was behaving strangely. Sometimes he was happy, sometimes not so.

''Sometimes he was involved with the group, sometimes isolated.

''He arrived late a few times and other times didn't come in at all. He was also injured when nobody knows when and how.

''These were strange things. We spoke about it at the club.

''Was he pushing us to let him go in the transfer window? Did he want to start a conflict and go to another place? Or is he involved in other things? Questions were starting to be asked.''

Mourinho's doubt over his player's alleged playboy lifestyle convinced him to bring in drug testers, in a move that confirmed his worst suspicions.

''We didn't speak much about his future. It was more for him to hear what we had to say rather than to meet,'' he said. 

''Everybody was involved in the decision. Every decision made by my club, I support.

''The club bought him to play football. At this moment, he has been out of competition for a long period.

''The first one to break the relation was the player. He cannot complain and the club cannot be painted as the guilty party.

"We did everything to give him a good professional life. As he admitted in some interviews, it has been a personal problem for a long period. It is his fault.

''He is human, a young man, his life must now go in the right direction.

''The statement from the club is very clear. We have a code of conduct and drugs were included in a very specific way.

''It's the best way to show we mean business.''