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Football London
Football London
Sport
Gregg Evans & Paul Clarke

Jose Mourinho names the 2019/2020 Champions League contenders - and it's bad news for Chelsea

Jose Mourinho has said that Liverpool can go from strength to strength after their Champions League win over Tottenham Hotspur.

Although, he has predicted less enjoyable times ahead for former club Chelsea.

The ex-Blues boss believes the west London club have slipped out of the European elite and will not be considered as serious challengers when they return to the competition next season.

Instead, he has boldly predicted that Liverpool can find themselves in a third consecutive Champions League final due to their recent resurgence, and suggested the Reds and Manchester City are the only English teams with a chance of succeeding in 2020.

"It is difficult for Chelsea because they don’t have the possibility to be in the transfer market," Mourinho said of the Europa League champions, who face a two-window ban on signing players and are set to lose star performer Eden Hazard this summer.

But, speaking on beIN Sports after Liverpool ended Real Madrid’s dominance of three European Cups in a row, he added:

"Why can’t Liverpool do three finals in a row? Why Liverpool, with this good team, with this good spirit, with this good empathy. The club, the manager, the players, the fans. Why not a third?”

Mourinho did caveat the claim by revealing the seven other sides who are strong candidates to reach the finale in Turkey next spring.

“I was writing here the teams that want to win the Champions League. Juventus, Bayern, PSG, Manchester City, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid,” Mourinho added.

Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino with Jose Mourinho. ((Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images))

“You have seven or eight teams. Lots of teams want to do it, but only one can do it.”

Liverpool recorded their sixth success in the competition by seeing off Spurs at the Wanda Metropolitano in Madrid.

Goals from Mo Salah and Divock Origi broke Spurs’ hearts on Saturday night.

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