BBC SPORT | Football | My Club | Chelsea | Mourinho receives Chelsea backing

"No list of candidates has been drawn up to replace Jose Mourinho," said a Chelsea statement on Thursday.

"Nobody from Chelsea has spoken to Mr Lippi or his representatives or indeed anyone regarding the manager's job.

"As previously stated, Jose Mourinho has a contract until 2010 and has the support of everybody at Chelsea."

There has been repeated speculation over recent weeks of a rift between Mourinho and Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich.

The Portuguese manager wanted to strengthen his squad during the January transfer window but did not sign any players and said early in the month: "It is not my choice that no-one is coming."

Lippi is currently out of work and had been quoted as saying that Chelsea wanted him to take charge at the London club at the end of the season.

But Mourinho himself recently expressed a desire to see out his current deal.

"I don't have to be confident I am staying. I have a contract until 2010, which is important," he told BBC Sport.

"I am manager today, I am the manager until the end of the season and I believe I will be the manager until the end of 2010.

"If I believe what I read in the press there are 11 candidates for my job but I don't get influenced by that."