Peter Kenyon last night insisted he was blameless for the departure of Jose Mourinho although he did admit the behind-the-scenes conflicts of the past year at Chelsea had led to a breakdown in the relationship between manager and board.

Having said Chelsea "lacked soul" when he arrived at the club in January 2004, he believes the loss on Wednesday night of its heartbeat will not affect its spirit. Instead he claimed vicarious credit for the successes of the Mourinho era.

"My actions over the past three and a half years helped very much to put Chelsea where it is," said Kenyon. "I think there is soul in the club and there will be next week, there will be next month and I am not embarrassed about where we are today and I will not apologise for it."

Kenyon has never been wildly popular in west London and how fans will react is uncertain. But they should concede that the chief executive was caught in the middle of regular disputes between the Portuguese and his employer, Roman Abramovich.

"A major part of my job is keeping it together and I did that when I thought it was the right thing for Chelsea," said Kenyon. "For six to nine months I've been instrumental in managing the complexities of the relationships around the club and I would say that for those months it has been difficult."

Kenyon's mediation will be needed as senior players agitate for the exit. Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard, most notably, have been unsettled by the departure of their mentor. But Kenyon was emphatic that they will remain. "There will be no exodus of players," he said.

Kenyon believes Avram Grant will take the club forward, despite his lack of experience in English football or the Champions League.

"The club has changed, the position of Chelsea has changed," said Kenyon. "One of the key criteria I was looking for (in 2004) was European pedigree. What we didn't have with Claudio (Ranieri) was an ethos and an understanding about what a winning team was all about.

"It is important that a manager came in who had those credentials. The squad is immeasurably better than where it was three and a half years ago.

"We're supportive of Avram; there is a risk with everything and we are comfortable with where we are today. The appointment is in the best interests of Chelsea going forward."