Jose Mourinho admits Bradford loss was 'worst result of career'

It was an old-fashioned FA Cup tie, full of noise, tension, rip-roaring goals and a thrilling comeback victory for the brave underdogs on a chilly afternoon in west London.

The hosts looked to be coasting after goals from England centre-back Gary Cahill and Brazil midfielder Ramires.

But a thundering strike from Jon Stead just before halftime rocked Mourinho's side and when former Chelsea man Filipe Morais equalised in the 75th minute, the League One visitors were brimming with new-found confidence.

Chelsea's defence was susceptible as they threw men forward to find a winner and fine goals on the break from Bradford's Andy Halliday and substitute Mark Yeates sent the visiting fans, packing Stamford Bridge's Shed End, into delirium.

Mourinho, twice a Champions League winner, who has led teams to titles in his native Portugal, Italy and Spain as well as at Chelsea, said the defeat was one of the worst of his career.

"I feel ashamed and I feel the players should feel the same as I feel. It's a disgrace -- a sporting disgrace obviously but still a disgrace.

"This happens to every team from time to time, but for me it's the first time -- it's unacceptable to lose against a team form a lower league.

"We are not speaking about a team of kids so I think the selection was more than good enough and obviously the word disgrace is the right word.

"I could find in my bad feeling with the game and with the result... space to feel happy for them (Bradford).

"On one side this is the beauty of the FA cup the beauty of football.

"You should be very critical of Chelsea, the manager and the players. But the others (Bradford) deserve that we focus not just on the negative but also on them after such an impressive result."

Michael Calvin (The Independent) - Stamford Bridge is supposed to be the Death Star of modern football, a dark, forbidding place where dreams go to die. Yet the force was with Bradford City as they transformed it into an enchanted garden. FA Cup shocks do not come more romantic or dramatic than this. The disgrace of which Jose Mourinho had warned, in what proved to be a dangerously prophetic throwaway line before a fourth-round tie which will live on in legend, was delivered on the sort of afternoon which defines the much-maligned democracy of the battered old competition.

Alyson Rudd (The Times) - They sang that Jose Mourinho would be sacked in the morning, which was meant as gallows humour - but in some respects the Chelsea manager would agree with the Bradford City fans. After all, he said it would be a disgrace” if his team failed to beat the League One side. This was not simply Chelsea’s failure, however. This was mostly about Phil Parkinson and his team’s refusal to be intimidated by a team chasing the quadruple.

Jose Mourinho is right, it certainly is the worst result of his Chelsea career, and perhaps even the worst in his 15-year managerial career. It was the first time a Chelsea side coached by the Portuguese had lost to lower league opposition, and it was a hugely humbling defeat for the Premier League leaders, who threw away a two-goal lead. The defeat means the Blues can no longer win four trophies this season, though they still have the Champions League, Premier League and Capital One Cup. They take on Liverpool at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday in the second leg of their League Cup semi-final, with the tie locked at 1-1, and will hope to bounce back from this embarrassment.