Mourinho urges Lampard and Terry to stay

LONDON, Mar 16 (Reuters) Jose Mourinho said today he wanted John Terry and Frank Lampard to stay with him at Chelsea until his contract ran out in 2010, despite frenzied speculation all three might leave the club at the end of the season.

The Portuguese coach said he would not make decisions for his captain and vice-captain but had sat down with them and told them ''what they have in their hearts is better than any advice.'' ''I would love to see them stay at the club and, especially if I stay here till 2010, I would love them to be with me,'' Mourinho said.

''They belong to Chelsea. They belong to Chelsea history, so when people have such strong links and feelings and success together there is no reason for a change,'' he said.

The latest British newspaper speculation has linked midfielder Lampard with Juventus and suggested contract talks between England captain Terry and the club had stalled.

Uncertainty over Mourinho's future after much publicised tension between the Portuguese coach and billionaire owner Roman Abramovich also remained. Mourinho said today:. ''That's football. There's always an if.

''I have repeated 50 times in the last 10 days I want to stay with Chelsea.'' Sensitivity over the issue was still evident with the club spokesman stepping in to stop lines of questioning over whether Mourinho felt Chelsea wanted him to remain as manager and about his current relationship with Abramovich.

Mourinho said the difficulties the team had suffered with injuries in January and with money not available to buy players had strengthened the group.

''I was desperately needing at least one defensive player to give my team the balance we needed at the time,'' he said.

''The team closed ranks and we fought together and because of that...the team became stronger and gave us the chance to promote kids like (John Obi) Mikel and (Lassana) Diarra.'' Mourinho added that Chelsea would work hard to keep their important players, citing midfielder Michael Essien's new five-year contract.

''This is a process. It's not something you can do in two or three days,'' he said.

SOUR RELATIONS Mourinho quashed earlier reports about sour relations with chief scout Frank Arnesen which British newspapers said had divided the Chelsea hierarchy.

''The relationship is positive and I have no problems working with him,'' he said.

He added he had made his feelings clear in an interview with a Portuguese newspaper last weekend.

''England is everything I dreamed of. There is a unique sporting tradition...In spite of interpretations to the contrary I am delighted with my work,'' he told Correio da Manha.

Today he was less enchanted with aspects of the English game, particularly fixture congestion which other European countries involved in the Champions League did not have to contend with.

''This period of April, May is unbelievable,'' he said. ''You go to every other country and every club...can rest and prepare and concentrate on work for the Champions League...'' Chelsea, six points adrift of Manchester United, play Sheffield United in the Premier League on Saturday, Tottenham Hotspur in an FA Cup replay on Monday and then send most of their players off for two international games.

They then play at least eight matches, two in the Champions League, from March 31 to the end of April.

Essien and defender Wayne Bridge will miss tomorrow's game through injury as will Mikel who is suspended.

Reuters DH DB2307