Mourinho demands Chelsea backing

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Jose Mourinho says he is happy to see out his contract as Chelsea manager - so long as he receives "real support" from the club's hierarchy.

There has been speculation Mourinho could leave the club this summer.

"It's important for a manager to know the club wants him and likes him and supports him," Mourinho told BBC Sport.

"If that support is real - real support and complete respect for your job in the club - I will be very happy to see my contract go until the end."

<a onClick="javascript:launchAVConsoleStory('6276381'); return false;" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/check/player/sol/newsid_6270000/newsid_6276300?redirect=6276381.stm&news=1&bbram=1&nbram=1&nbwm=1&bbwm=1">Interview: Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho</a> <a onClick="javascript:launchAVConsoleStory('6276093'); return false;" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/check/player/sol/newsid_6270000/newsid_6276000?redirect=6276093.stm&news=1&nbwm=1&bbwm=1&nbram=1&bbram=1">Interview: Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon</a>

Mourinho is contracted to Chelsea until 2010, but there have been reports that a rift with owner Roman Abramovich will force him out of the club.

"To be supportive is not just about giving you money to spend on players - being supportive is much more than that," Mourinho said.

606: DEBATE <a class="" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/606/A19024085"> Kenyon is confirming what I've been saying all along</a> CH <a class="" href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/606/default.stm">606: Have your say</a>

"I would say that the money is the last part of the support you need.

"If the club is supportive of me, it means it's supportive of my team, because my team is completely with me.

"I don't change my mind in relation of the love I have for Chelsea, the Premiership and the football country.

"The family is happy here. My kids are in a moment of their lives where a change year after year isn't good for them."

Chelsea chief Peter Kenyon moved to deny reports of a rift between Mourinho and Abramovich.

"The board and the owner fully support Jose and Jose is fully on board in looking to achieve more success on the field," Kenyon told BBC Sport.

"There's not a lot I can do about speculation. We are very confident that both the manager and the board are together on how we make Chelsea even more successful.

There's no crisis at Chelsea - how many clubs would like to be six points away from the leader of the Premiership at this time? Peter Kenyon

"He's got a contract to 2010 and wants to finish what we started when we brought him in. That was a long-term plan for Chelsea being successful on the field.

"There's no crisis at Chelsea. How many clubs would like to be six points away from the leader of the Premiership at this time, halfway through the season?

But he admitted Mourinho would not be given "extensive" funds during the January transfer window.

The Portuguese boss is believed to have been keen to sign a central defender and striker during the January transfer window, with Milan Baros, Jermain Defoe, Jorge Andrade and Tal Ben Haim all linked with a move to Stamford Bridge.

"Jose's fully involved in the players we bring in or move out," Kenyon said.

"We've talked to a couple of clubs over a couple of players. There's nothing done yet.

"If we do, we will not be spending extensive amounts of money (and will) only be bringing someone in who is of use longer-term than the next two and a half, three months.

"We're not going for a big success and then a bust. We're not in it for this season, we're in it for a lot longer than that.

"The investments that have been made right across the piece are to support Chelsea being successful over many years to come."

We aren't looking to regularly play a number of 16- and 17-year-olds... but it is going to happen during the course of the season Peter Kenyon

And Kenyon said Mourinho could have to field young home-grown players in the first team.

"We've invested heavily in the squad but, equally, we've invested heavily in our youth and training facilities," he said.

"Part of our overall plan - and it's always been part of our plan - is that we started to generate talent that could end up in the first-team squad.

"That is... a key component of Chelsea becoming profitable.

"We weren't looking, and aren't looking, to regularly play a number of 16- and 17-year-olds that clearly are not right for that first-team squad yet.

"But it is going to happen during the course of the season and we have to accept that and if there wasn't a window today we wouldn't be talking about bringing players in."