Chelsea’s manager Jose Mourinho has been sacked but the club as technical director Michael Emenalo said players are not to be blamed for sacking.
The defending champions are one point above the relegation zone after losing nine of their first 16 Premier League matches this season.
Emenalo said there was a “palpable discord between manager and players”.
Asked about the role of the squad in Mourinho’s exit, he told Chelsea TV: “It’s very easy to make that inference but it is not one the club accepts.”
Emenalo said the squad consisted of the same group of players who won the league and League Cup “in style” last season while “sweating tears and blood”.
He added: “The players have a responsibility to go out and prove everybody wrong and show a commitment to the decision that has been made to try and get the club up the league table.
“This club is in trouble and something needed to be done.”
