Despite his side's failure to hold onto the Premiership trophy for a third successive year, Jose Mourinho hailed his players and spoke of his pride for his "champions".
Chelsea's 1-1 draw with Chelsea at the Emirates on Sunday meant the trophy will be heading back to Manchester, where it has resided with United for eight years already during the Premiership era.
But Mourinho was gracious in defeat, after what has been the closest race for the title in years.
"The reality is that the Premiership is over," Mourinho told Sky Sports. "United are first and Chelsea are second. It's over. What matters is the team with the most points.
"I have to congratulate the champions, the players, the manager, the fans, the board; all the people that help them be champions.
"I have to say that maybe I'm prouder today than when I was a champion. My players are heroes. All season, against absolutely everything, they did brilliantly.
"Today is a game to be remembered. It showed what big players Chelsea have. I couldn't be happier with the way this finished. My team was brilliant, fighting against everything.
"I'm very proud of my players," he added. "Normally when a team has a lot of success and loses a championship it's lack of motivation, not the same spirit or ambition, but it was exactly the opposite. My team was brilliant.''
Chelsea's season has been dogged by talk of unrest in the dressing room and between the manager and the boardroom, but Mourinho insisted he will be staying at Stamford Bridge to start at the helm next season.
He said: "
My future is my future, I'm here on July 9 to start the season. I don't understand the speculation [that he is leaving Stamford Bridge in the summer]."
იმედია არ წავა
ჩემი ჰალსტუხი მიმართულებას უჩვენებს მათ ვისაც მე არ მოვწონვარ...
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“Each of us is full of shit in our own special way. We are all shitty little snowflakes dancing in the universe.”
(C) Lewis Black
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ლონდონის ჩელსის ფანკლუბი, Back to Back Champions 2004-05/2005-06
