Mourinho 'said no to easy fairytales'

Jose Mourinho does not regret returning to Chelsea despite his team's hopes of winning a trophy this season being all but ended by a 0-0 draw with Norwich.

Chelsea are one point behind leaders Manchester City and Liverpool, who will end their Premier League title hopes if they win at Crystal Palace on Monday.

Chelsea visit Cardiff for the last game of the season and boss Mourinho said: "This is the club I want and love.

"I had chances to have easy fairytales if I wanted to win leagues."

Mourinho won two league titles, an FA Cup and League Cup during his first spell as Chelsea manager, from 2004 to 2007.

The 51-year-old returned to Stamford Bridge last summer after spells at Inter Milan and Real Madrid, but the Blues are set to finish a season without silverware for the first time since 2010-11.

City play their game in hand, against Aston Villa at Etihad Stadium, on Wednesday.

Mourinho said the Premier League was "a competition I like to play in" and described London as "a city where I like to live".

Reflecting on the season, the Portuguese added away defeats by Everton,Stoke and Newcastle had been particularly costly.

He said: "The boys did a good job. That does not make us completely happy, but it's a base for next season.

"We were never outside the top four or out of the title race. At the end we didn't manage to finish and win it."

Sunday's draw with relegation-threatened Norwich means Chelsea are assured of at least third place, meaning they will not need to play a qualifying round to reach the group stage of the Champions League.

Mourinho said: "We had one team that needed three points to have a chance to survive but didn't play to win, and a team that needed a point to finish third that played to win."