Chelsea expect Mourinho and Lampard to stay
Chelsea expect manager Jose Mourinho and midfielder Frank Lampard still to be at Stamford Bridge next season, according to chairman Bruce Buck.
There has been much speculation over Mourinho's future in the wake of reports claiming that his relationship with owner Roman Abramovich had become strained as well as his apparent dissatisfaction with the club's lack of spending in the transfer window.
England midfieldfer Lampard has too been linked with a possible summer move to Spain and could take advantage of a ruling that would allow him to buy out the remainder of his contract and subsequently move on for a fraction of his market value.
But Buck told reporters: "We're in the process of renegotiating the contracts for Frank Lampard and John Terry and there is goodwill on both sides in both of those discussions. I am hopeful both will sign revised contracts and be here in the long term."
And when asked if he believed Mourinho would be in charge of the Blues when the new season kicks off in August, Buck replied: "I do and I hope so too. Jose has said to us that he has not had any discussion with other clubs and I believe him."
The Blues chairman added of reports of tension between Abramovich and Mourinho, who is contracted to the Stamford Bridge hotseat until 2010: "To put the record straight - the manager, the board and the owner will never agree on all things at all times."
He continued: "There have been many discussions over the last few years and at the end of them we have always come out with a unified course of action.
"I think he has more than the support he needs. We (the Chelsea board) love Jose Mourinho. He's done a great job here and brought a lot of silverware in a short period of time."
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