Jose Mourinho's best quotes of all time
Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho is more than just a tactical genius and one of the most successful coaches of all time; he is an expert at handling the media. During his time at Porto, Chelsea and Inter Milan, the Portuguese manager has created a unique
rapport with the press, which no other football coach has been able to manage.
Mourinho is a true entertainer. While in front of the press over the years, he has given the world of football some of the most memorable quotes, ranging from topics as mundane as the weather to conspiracies in the football world.
Most of Mourinho’s memorable quotes came during his time with English Champions Chelsea, where the press fell in love with the charismatic manager.
As Chelsea faced an injury crisis during the 2007-08 season, just as the title race was heating up and Manchester United looked like they might run away with the Premier League crown, Mourinho had this to say.
“It’s like having a blanket that is too small for the bed. You pull the blanket up to keep your chest warm and your feet stick out. I cannot buy a bigger blanket because the supermarket is closed. But I am content because the blanket is cashmere. It is no
ordinary blanket.”
Chelsea are not a club known for their youth policy, but when quizzed about his opinions on bringing some young players into the squad, Mourinho had a rather philosophical answer.
“Young players are a little bit like melons. Only when you open and taste the melon are you 100 per cent sure that the melon is good. Sometimes you have beautiful melons but they don’t taste very good and some other melons are a bit ugly and when you open
them, the taste is fantastic. One thing is youth football, one thing is professional football.”
Although Jose Mourinho is known for having a very good relationship with his players, he knows how to put them in their place if they step out of line, as Ricardo Carvalho found out. The Portuguese defender complained in the media that he was not being selected
to start games for Chelsea. Mourinho replied with this gem.
“Ricardo Carvalho seems to have problems understanding things; maybe he should have an IQ test, or go to a mental hospital or something”
At one point Chelsea had three exceptional wingers in their squad all at once; Joe Cole, Arjen Robben and Damien Duff. When asked about his decision to rotate them continuously rather than fielding a stable line-up, Mourinho explained his reasoning with
the following analogy.
“Why drive Aston Martin all the time, when I have Ferrari and Porsche as well? That would just be stupid”
Pressure is part of any football manager’s routine, but unlike most, Mourinho claimed he enjoyed it and didn’t want to work in an environment where there was no pressure. Mourinho left his previous job at Porto after winning the Champions League and other
domestic honours with the Portuguese club.
“If I wanted to have an easy job… I would have stayed at Porto – beautiful blue chair, the Uefa Champions League trophy, God, and after God, me.”
This next quote has become the signature of the Portuguese manager, who is referred to as ‘The Special One’ by the press, no matter where he goes. It all started with his first press conference after he signed a contract with Chelsea. With all of England
watching, Mourinho announced to the Premier League that he had arrived:
“I’m not a defender of old or new football managers. I believe in good ones and bad ones, those that achieve success and those that don’t. Please don’t call me arrogant, but I’m European champion and I think I’m a special one.”
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