LONDON: There was no celebratory run down the touchline, no dancing on the pitch, just a sober reflection of a job well done from Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho on Sunday after his side beat Crystal Palace to win the Premier League title.
A 1-0 victory, sealed by Eden Hazard's goal on the stroke of halftime, meant Mourinho added a third league title to the two he won for Chelsea during his previous reign.
Despite his deadpan demeanour, there was no doubting his pride as Mourinho once again proved himself master of what he calls the "most difficult league in Europe".
"When you work so hard and you are champions you feel you got what you deserved, it's a good feeling," Mourinho, who left in 2007 after falling out with owner Roman Abramovich but returned in 2013, told reporters.
"For me, it may be a special feeling because I'm not the smartest guy when it comes to choosing countries and clubs.
"I chose the most difficult league in Europe, I chose a club where I was happy before. I'm so happy to win another Premier League title in my second spell at the club.
"I will try for another one. The day I don't feel the pressure to do it again, I will stop."
It was hardly a footballing classic on Sunday and Chelsea's twitchiness extended to goalscorer Hazard, who fluffed his penalty -- a feeble effort parried by goalkeeper Julian Speroni -- only to head in the rebound.
While the title was claimed with a low-key victory, Mourinho said his team's reliability since the turn of the year had been rewarded, even if critics have called their style boring.
"In my country, we say the dogs bark and the caravan goes by," Mourinho said of criticism of his style.
"On 1 January when we were level on points with (Manchester) City after a heavy defeat at Spurs ... instead of being a turning point it was our last defeat.
"From that moment we haven't had one single defeat. The team were always there, everybody knows we deserve it."
Mourinho chose to leave the celebrations of his third Premier League title with the London side to his players, and staff produced a box of hats and scarves for the team to don while they danced around the pitch to the strains of London band Madness and the 1970s' club anthem 'Blue is the Colour'.
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