Mourinho: Cech must fight for his first team place

Football FanCast

By Luke Greenwood

Published Aug 3, 2014

Jose Mourinho has warned Petr Cech he expects him to fight for his first team place, should he opt to start with Thibault Courtois as his number one for the new season.

Jose Mourinho has warned Petr Cech he expects him to fight for his first team place, should he opt to start with Thibault Courtois as his number one for the new season, reports the Daily Mail.

Cech has been Chelsea's undisputed number one for the last 10 years, but the return of Courtois from a loan spell at Atletico Madrid has seen his first team place cast into doubt.

Cech has indicated he would not be happy with a place on the Chelsea bench, but Mourinho says he expects the 32-year-old to fight for his position.

He said: ‘Before I had Carlo Cudicini and then I made the decision to give Petr the goal so, if I have to make the decision of putting Petr on the bench, it’s not a problem for me.

‘If I have to put Courtois on the bench, it is not a problem. The fact that we have two fantastic goalkeepers is not a problem for me. It was logical that Courtois had to be back.

'It would make no sense to have such a great young keeper and not have him back. In the end it will be my decision and nobody else’s.

‘They have to work hard and wait for my decision, then fight against my decision if they are on the bench.’

Mourino was quick to dismiss suggestions Cech could depart this summer, should he find himself relegated to second choice goalkeeper.

‘Everybody says the same,’ he said. ‘If somebody says I’m happy on the bench, then what are you doing here? Petr says the obvious, Courtois says the same. Mark Schwarzer is 42 and he will say he’s not happy being the third choice and will fight hard to try and be No2 again.’