ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE 2004-05: Mourinho: This is just the start

LONDON: Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho may have been thrilled to lift the English Premiership trophy but the Portuguese tactician’s appetite for success was far from satisfied following a 1-0 win over Charlton Athletic. The Blues boss, now on his third consecutive title after twice guiding Porto to the Portuguese championship crown, was adamant this season’s Premiership and League Cup double was just for starters.

Chelsea were presented with the Premiership trophy at their Stamford Bridge home in west London after beating fellow capital club Charlton, 50 years after they first won a top-flight English title.

"I’m proud, I’m tired and I want to go on holiday," Mourinho said. "A lot of feelings all at the same time.

"I’m happy for myself and for the players. We did it, maybe we did it before everybody expected, even inside the club. I’m very happy with this but my nature is not to be happy with what we do. We want more. This is the beginning of a process.

"It’s my first season, I have five more years on contract, I want more for me and I want more for Chelsea. So next season is another season."

Mourinho insisted that masterminding Chelsea’s run to the title at his first attempt was tougher than his double Championship success in Portugal, despite having the vast financial resources of Chelsea’s Russian billionaire owner Roman Abramovich behind him.

"Every title has a feeling, the first because it was the first, the second because it was the second!" an elated Mourinho joked after Chelsea’s final home game of the season.

"This one for me is the third consecutive one but the first in England and the first with Chelsea. The feeling is not different, but it is more difficult to win here."

Chelsea secured the title at Bolton on April 30 with three matches remaining, the nearest challengers Arsenal and Manchester United long since having slipped off the pace.

Mourinho said the tide turned in Chelsea’s favour after a 4-1 victory away to relegation-threatened West Bromwich Albion at the end of October.

A win at home to Everton the following week left the Blues in first place, a position they never relinquished.

When champions Arsenal lost at Bolton on Jan 15 to leave Chelsea 10 points clear at the summit, Mourinho sensed the game was up for their London rivals.

"For me, the game where we celebrated for the first time, not the title, was in the bus after we beat Tottenham at White Hart Lane.

"Arsenal lost while we were in the bus because they played after us. Not that we had won the league, but from then on we knew that it was very difficult for anyone to catch us."

Chelsea beat Charlton thanks to an injury-time strike from Claude Makelele following a penalty, the former France midfielder’s first goal for the Blues in 94 appearances.

The 32-year-old’s spot-kick was saved by Danish goalkeeper Stephan Andersen but he bundled in the rebound.

"I always write a diagram in the dressing room beforehand," Mourinho explained.

"And I was saying: a penalty — Lampard. But if there’s a penalty in the 90th minute and it’s 2-0 — Makelele.

"I think they were in luck because in training yesterday (Friday) Makelele missed two in two," he revealed.

The softly-spoken grafter admitted the effort was unlikely to spark a hot streak of goalscoring.

"It’s true that it’s my first of the season so I’m happy," Makelele said.

"It’s a shame that it was a penalty but before the match we discussed it and I’m pleased they offered me the privilege." — AFP