Lampard and Terry recount tears in the dressing room after Mourinho's first Chelsea sacking

The iconic pair described a scene of grown men in tears, highlighting the deep connection the Portuguese manager had forged with his players during his first, highly successful tenure.

Mourinho, also known as ‘The Chosen One’, spent three years at Stamford Bridge following his arrival in 2004.

He went on to win 6 major trophies, two Premier League titles, two League Cup (Carabao Cup), one FA Cup and one FA Community Shield.

The revelations come from a new three-part Netflix docu-series, 'Mourinho', which explores the manager's career, including the breakdown of his relationship with then-owner Roman Abramovich that led to his dismissal.

Lampard, a key figure in Mourinho's midfield, recalled the moment the manager personally delivered the news. 

"I remember him coming into the dressing room, and he said to me that he’d been sacked," Lampard said. 

"I couldn’t think about how much this man had helped my career, how much I loved working with him. There were tears, which is not normal in the dressing room when a manager leaves."

Terry, the team's captain, echoed the sentiment and admitted to feeling a sense of personal responsibility for the 1-1 Champions League draw against Rosenborg that proved to be the final straw.

"I would leave that pitch in a coffin for him," Terry stated. "You’ve got grown men, tears running down their face, not really understanding why. And even still today I’m like, that’s my fault."

He added, "When we drew the Champions League game, my man scored. If I didn’t let that person score, would he have lasted another couple of years? Who knows? I still feel kind of responsible for that... It’s just disappointing how it all ended."

Meanwhile, Mourinho has also confirmed long-standing speculation that he initially accepted an offer to replace Sir Alex Ferguson as Manchester United manager in 2013, only to reverse his decision and return to Chelsea.