Kenyon denies Mourinho bust-up

Tuesday, 11, Apr 2006 09:06

Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon has denied reports of a bust-up with manager Jose Mourinho.

It has been reported recently that the pair had fallen out over future transfer deals and were not speaking to each other.

However, Kenyon, who is currently in China as part of the London 2012 committee's visit to Beijing, dismissed the rumours as rubbish.

"I am 100 per cent happy with him and the rumours are just fabrication," Kenyon said.

The chief executive was, however, keen to boast about the growth in Chelsea's following in China and he claimed that they were now as popular as Manchester United.

Kenyon's former employers have a massive following around the world, especially in Asia, but he claims that the Blues' current success in the Premiership has helped turn that around.

"We have been looking at research in China which shows we are as popular as Manchester United, whereas two years ago we were not even on the same radar scope," Kenton told the BBC.

"I think the importance of having a successful team is critical to all this and we are going in the right direction on that front."

Kenyon was attributed with much of the credit for turning United into a globally recognised brand and he said when he joined the Londoners that he wanted to make them even bigger.