Chelsea legend John Terry has opened up about the emotional fallout from Jose Mourinho’s sudden departure from Stamford Bridge back in 2007.
The former England captain made the revelations as part of a new three-part Netflix documentary series dedicated to the career of the self-proclaimed Special One.
Terry described the devastating impact Mourinho’s sacking had on the squad, with players visibly breaking down upon hearing the news of their manager’s exit.
Teammate Steve Sidwell provided one of the most vivid accounts of the moment Mourinho came to say his goodbyes to the Chelsea dressing room.
Sidwell recalled: “You could have heard a pin drop. It felt like someone had died. When you see strong characters like Didier Drogba, Frank Lampard and John Terry either crying on the floor or certainly welling up… I got upset as well.”
Mourinho had originally arrived at Chelsea in 2004, replacing Claudio Ranieri after a remarkable Champions League triumph with Porto.
He famously introduced himself as “the Special One” and quickly justified the bold claim by delivering back-to-back Premier League titles, one FA Cup and two League Cups.
His time at the club came to an abrupt end during the 2007-08 season following a difficult start to the campaign, amid reports of tensions between Mourinho and owner Roman Abramovich.
Terry also lifted the lid on the personal side of Mourinho’s management style, recalling how the Portuguese boss would send late-night messages asking about his family, before revealing he had sent the same messages to Lampard and Drogba.
The Netflix documentary, simply titled Mourinho, is a three-part series that premiered globally on 11 August 2026, having been filmed over two years.
The series features exclusive access to Mourinho himself alongside candid interviews from a host of high-profile names, including Sir Alex Ferguson, Iker Casillas, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Drogba, Marcelo, Samuel Eto’o, Javier Zanetti, Frank Lampard and Petr Cech.
It comes from Beckham producer and double Academy Award-winner John Battsek, and BAFTA and Emmy-nominated director Joe Pearlman, promising an in-depth look at one of football’s most iconic managers.
