Jose Mourinho couldn't win the big one for Chelsea in three seasons as manager, and he won't get a chance to do it this year, either.

Mourinho, who led the Blues to twice as many English league titles than any other manager in the club's history, has left the team he helped turn into a European powerhouse.

"Chelsea Football Club and Jose Mourinho have agreed to part company today by mutual consent," the English team said early Thursday on it's Web site.

The self-anointed "Special One" came to Chelsea with high expectations - and only months after leading FC Porto to the Champions League title. He delivered with two English Premier League titles, an FA Cup and two League Cups in three seasons, but not winning the European Champions League caused friction between himself and billionaire owner Roman Abramovich.

And only a day after the 44-year-old Portuguese coach's team was held to a 1-1 draw at home by Rosenborg in Europe's top club competition, Chelsea and Mourinho finally decided enough was enough.

Mourinho started his tenure at Chelsea with plenty of success, first winning the League Cup and then the league title - the team's first in 50 years and only its second in history. That broke a nine-year stretch of Manchester United and Arsenal dominance.

Mourinho added another league title in 2006, and then won both the FA Cup and League Cup last season.

But Abramovich, who has spent millions acquiring players such as Michael Ballack, Andriy Shevchenko and Didier Drogba since he took over, wanted European success, and that was something Mourinho couldn't deliver.

The problems reportedly began at the end of last season.

With only weeks to go in the season, and Chelsea having already won the League Cup, the Blues could have won an unprecedented four major trophies. But Man United hung on to win the league title, and Liverpool ousted Chelsea from the semifinals of the Champions League for the second time in three years.

Although, Chelsea did manage to beat United in the FA Cup final, it was little consolation for Abramovich.

This season, Chelsea is in fifth place in the English league with 11 points from six matches, behind both Liverpool and Man United on goal difference. Arsenal leads the league with 13 points, one more than Manchester City.

Tuesday's draw against Rosenborg, a team Mourinho believes should have been easy to beat, turned out to be the end. The BBC reported that Mourinho sent text messages to five players Wednesday night to tell them he was leaving.

Mourinho started his soccer career as a translator for Bobby Robson at FC Barcelona, but he made a name for himself at Porto, where he won the Champions League, the UEFA Cup and two Portuguese league titles.

Mourinho's contract with Chelsea, which reportedly pays 6.5 million pounds (US$13 million, €9.2 million) per year, was due to end in 2009.

Sevilla coach Juande Ramos is among the coaches reportedly linked with Mourinho's job. Ramos was in London on Wednesday, where his team lost to Arsenal 3-0 in the Champions League.

Chelsea's next match is at Man United on Sunday, and assistant Steve Clarke or director of soccer Avram Grant are expected to take charge of team.

WE WILL MISS YOU, JOSE MOURINHO....

R