So, he sniffs some blow for "sexual reasons" and ends up without a job, facing a two year ban from the sport, probable dissmisal from Romanian FA after being their captain, and costs Chelsea about $22 million dollars all said and done.
Anyone else think this is just all too convenient for Mourinho who didnt like him anyway? Ah, the spending habit of Russians...really makes you confident in their "economic turnaround."
Chelsea sack Mutu
Fri 29 October, 2004 13:41
By Mitch Phillips
LONDON, Oct 29 (Reuters) - Chelsea have sacked their Romanian striker Adrian Mutu after he tested positive for cocaine last month.
"Chelsea has terminated the contract of Adrian Mutu for gross misconduct," the Premier League club said on Friday.
"The decision comes after the player's positive drugs test for cocaine and his admission that he took the drug."
Mutu, 25, bought from Parma last year for almost 16 million pounds ($29.30 million), faces a two-year ban from soccer. He is the second player to be sacked by Chelsea for cocaine abuse following the dismissal of Australian goalkeeper Mark Bosnich two years ago.
Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon said the club had targeted the Romanian because his performances were below par and he missed training.
"A clinical assessment over time led us to believe that his behaviour could be associated with drugs," Kenyon told the BBC.
The club's statement on Friday added: "We want to make clear that Chelsea has a zero tolerance policy towards drugs. This applies to both performance-enhancing drugs or so-called 'recreational' drugs. They have no place at our club or in sport.
"In coming to a decision on this case, Chelsea believed the club's social responsibility to its fans, players, employees and other stakeholders in football regarding drugs was more important than the major financial considerations to the company.
"Chelsea is actively considering all options in relation to any financial loss as a result of this case."
TAYLOR UNHAPPY
Gordon Taylor, chief executive of the Professional Footballers' Association, was unhappy with the club's treatment of Mutu.
"They have target-tested the player with a view to getting rid of him. They have not gone through proper procedures, it's very premature, he's not even had his official hearing from the FA," Taylor told Sky Sports News.
"So many clubs have adopted a more responsible duty of care to employees and been prepared to help them undertake rehabilitation and this is obviously not a programme that Chelsea want to follow and that is very disappointing."
Mutu's agent also criticised the club. "Chelsea were the only side who did not help him ," Gheorghe Popescu told Reuters.
"The English FA backed him, Gordon Taylor backed him, we also helped him, everybody helped him except for his club.
"Chelsea's attitude was not one of fair-play," added Popescu, who said the club had agreed not to make any public announcements without both parties agreeing to them beforehand.
Mutu was one of the first signings of Chelsea's billionaire owner Roman Abramovich when he joined from Parma in August 2003.
He scored four goals in his first three games to make an immediate impact on the pitch but also admitted to loving London's nightlife.
His performances began to dip and by the end of last season he had fallen out with former manager Claudio Ranieri and was on the sidelines, where he generally remained under Jose Mourinho, who took over in the close season.
Earlier this month Mutu denied taking cocaine but said he had taken "a substance to make me feel better".