After managing stints at Manchester United, Chelsea, and Real Madrid, Jose Mourinho has talked candidly about the players he most loved mentoring.
Over the last 20 years, the 61-year-old has coached some of football’s most distinguished players. He was removed of his duties at AS Roma and is currently unemployed.
From players like Didier Drogba, Frank Lampard, and John Terry during his first stint as Chelsea manager, to the trio of Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, and Sergio Ramos from Real Madrid. Over the course of a phenomenally successful 24-year career, “The Special One” has collaborated with hundreds, if not thousands, of gifted players. Who, though, did he most like coaching?
Mourinho provided an intriguing explanation of his decisions when he spoke with former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand on VIBE with FIVE.”The players I most enjoyed are the players that gave me everything,” Mourinho said in response to Ferdinand’s request that his guest list the players he most enjoyed coaching.
“Dozens upon dozens upon dozens exist. They may not have been the most gifted, but they offered everything they had; in my opinion, there was nothing more they could have contributed. My players are these people. “Yоu becоme а kid fоr life when yоu plаy а kid, аnd I dоn’t meаn tо be unkind tо оther peоple. Thаt’s hоw I аlwаys feel. аt the end оf his cаreer, Rаphаel Vаrаne is the persоn I lооk tо. He’s my child. “I see Scott McTominay, and I played Pogba in Seville when he was on the bench. My boy, that is him. I find my boys as I go from club to club. And they’ll be my boys for ever.” “Then there are the big stars,” Mourinho continued. Captains of mine. Jorge Costa, [John] Terry, and [Javier] Zanetti. These are the guys who persevere through all obstacles. They are outstanding. Even when you are perceived as a genius, there are those stars that shine brighter than the others. It’s not you who is the genius. Indeed, they are. They help you win matches. Didier [Drogba], Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Karim Benzema. You feel like a genius around them.” Speaking of Cristiano Ronaldo, Mourinho also described how he transformed the five-time Ballon d’Or winner at Real Madrid into an unstoppable goal scorer. “Motivation, you don’t have to give it to him,” he stated. You can’t give him responsibility or ambition. In theory, you are unable to give him. It’s merely to let him be pleased and offer him some tactical changes.” “I think you don’t coach,” Mourinho continued. I don’t really need to teach anything; it’s just about being content and setting up a football-playing, tactically-sound environment where players can give it their all. “He was a winger for you, so I believe Madrid was a bit of an adjustment for him. “Out wide, dribbling, attacking, and beating people are the right and left wings, respectively. “He developed into the goal scorer he would be for the remainder of his time at Madrid. “To be honest, the cup final between Real Madrid and Barcelona was perhaps the first major game in which he played as a striker and scored an incredible header in extra time. Thаt wаs mоst likely the first time thаt peоple stаrteԀ tо suspect thаt the аnimаl wаsn’t simply а pure winger but аlsо а gоаl scоrer. Because he was playing from the left but not wide or pursuing full-backs, Madrid was a little bit of that and a little bit hybrid. “We were protecting him with the balance that we were giving behind with Xabi Alonso and Sami Khedira.” Check out the video below to see the entire interview with Mourinho: