Relations between Chelsea owner, Roman Abramovich, and coach, Jose Mourinho, look to have taken turn for the worse after Mourinho stated on Tuesday that he would like to manage Real Madrid, but not next season.

Tensions have been strained in recent weeks after the Portuguese said he would leave and find a new club within months if the Premiership champions discharged him.

Mourinho's latest outburst comes at a crucial time in Chelsea's season. They take on Valencia in their first leg quarter-final next week, trail Manchester United by 9 points domestically and have a FA cup replay with Spurs.

Real Madrid's manager, Fabio Capello, is expected to leave at the end of the season. Chelsea's Mourinho, Liverpool's Rafael Benetez and Getafe coach Bernd Schuster are believed to be the main targets on the Madrid side's shortlist.

And indeed Mourinho has become so incensed at what he sees as unfair treatment by the British press that he's imposed a ban on himself speaking to the press. He says he will now only comment on Chelsea match coverage, after speculation that he will quit for Real Madrid escalated on Tuesday.