Jose interview : Chelsea - Man Utd game

[Mod]

maksimov posted this link in the Man Utd match chat thread and although it is about Jose going to the game, I thought it deserved a post in general category too as there is plenty of Chelsea questions.

You never know it may even tempt Callista back for a post?

Mourinho: "Getting on great at Inter"

Friday, 09 January 2009 16:35:33

APPIANO GENTILE - José Mourinho replied to questions from British journalists during his first press conference of the new year. This is what he had to say:

You're going to watch Man Utd against Chelsea on Sunday. When you see that Chelsea team, will you see it as your team still, or is it somebody else's team now?

"It's still difficult for me to speak about it because everybody knows it was my team, my passion, and it was not easy for me to leave, and it was not easy for me to live for seven months without Chelsea. Now it's easy because I love it here. I can guess that if I stay here for a long time it will be also passion because I really love being here. But I see Chelsea in a different way to the other teams. I want them to succeed, I want them to win. Of course, it's not my team anymore. There are not my players there. Ivanovic, Anelka, Deco: Chelsea is a different team now. But in this moment my focus is on Man United. I have to study the maximum I can. I go on Sunday because it's a good chance to watch them live and to be there, to be in loco is always different. We will try to know as much as possible to be ready for them."

Will you share a glass of wine with Alex Ferguson?

"Sure."

Will it feel strange to be back at Old Trafford and watch Chelsea.

"It's the first time I go back to England. Not even for a shopping day or not even to see my house at London. It's the first time I go back to England after more than a year so it will be emotional. I go to Old Trafford where I had some great moments. I go to a Chelsea game where for sure I will find in the stands people that I love and people that I know have a great feeling with me. Probably I don't have the chance to see players and staff, but I will have the feeling again. It will be emotional."

Do you sympathise with the position Scolari finds himself in?

"He's in a good position I think. He's in the last 16 of the Champions League so any team in the last sixteen can do it, can win it. He's second in the Premiership and second with a small distance. It's still possible for them. He has to play a second game against Southend, which was not a good result at Stamford Bridge, but they are alive. They have the chance to go through in the FA Cup. They lost the Carling Cup but that's football sometimes. Chelsea cannot win the Carling Cup every year. They did it twice in the last four. It's not a drama. They can do it. They have the quality to do it."

Your thoughts in general on the title race in England. Do you think Chelsea can win it? Do you think Liverpool are strong enough this year to win?

"I don't think it's a surprise that Liverpool are there. For me it's a surprise that Liverpool in the last four years was twenty points behind, thirty points behind in December. That was the real surprise. It's not a surprise that they're doing very well. Good manager, good players, tradition, crowd. I think they have everything so of course they can do it. Man United have two matches in hand. If they do it they can be there. Chelsea is there. It's good for me that Arsenal will go in the same direction. Some great football, some great moments. Some incredible matches. But I believe it will be a Liverpool, Chelsea, Man United race. From the psychological point of view this game on Sunday is an important game. If somebody wins, that team has a big boost."

Chelsea have lost that incredible home record that they had under you. Do you think they have lost a slight air of invincibility, that aura they had under you?

"No. When I was there I was always speaking about that with my people because any day it can happen. It was such an incredible record, you have to be ready. You can lose it at any moment. And the important thing was when we lose the game number 70, the game number 71, the game number 80, when we do it, we have to think why we were so strong for such a long time, and if you're so strong for such a long time, you can do it again. Don't be impressed by a defeat because a defeat can happen to anyone, and when it happened to them, I think it was natural. Not natural was to be for four years without a defeat. That was not natural. I think they need one, two, three, four, five consecutive good results at home to have again the feeling, not of being unbeatable, because in football nobody is unbeatable, but to have that feeling of doing it again at home. Not a record, because I think that record will be almost unbeatable, but to have the feeling of being really strong at home."

If you had to name to single most thing you miss about London, away from football, what would it be?

"I cannot say my favourite Italian restaurant because at London one of my favourite restaurants was of course an Italian one. I can do it every day here. Just here, around the corner. I cannot say shopping because here it's also good. I really don't know. I'm happy here. There's nobody that I really miss. Football was amazing, with Chelsea it was a great feeling, but I'm great here, I'm getting that feeling with Inter, and it's fine."

Source: http://www.inter.it/aas/news/reader?N=30596&L=en

[Nibs]

Good interview.

If on Sunday things aren't going according to plan after the first 45, I wonder if there's any chance of getting him down from his seat in the stands to do the half time team talk?!

[Ruh Buh Juh]

Will you share a glass of wine with Alex Ferguson?

"Sure."

I can't help but think that was a reluctant "sure"...

[ethicalstrategy]

Good interview.

If on Sunday things aren't going according to plan after the first 45, I wonder if there's any chance of getting him down from his seat in the stands to do the half time team talk?!

Brilliant :lol:

[abramovich]

INTERVIEW

JOSE MOURINHO does not do self-doubt — which is why he’s convinced Chelsea would have been European champions if he had stayed at Stamford Bridge.

And that’s a cocksure belief which is certain to echo around Old Trafford today as Manchester United and Chelsea replay last May’s epic Champions League final, this time with domestic points at stake.

All Blues fans, many neutrals and maybe even a few United supporters will think the outcome in Moscow may well have been different if it had been Mourinho in charge of Chelsea.

They will remember how the ‘Special One’ dominated English football in his three years, plundering two league titles, an FA Cup and two Carling Cups.

This weekend at Inter Milan’s training camp, the man had the trademark sparkle in his eye as he mused on what might have been if his love affair with Chelsea had not been dramatically cut short on September 20, 2007.

To be fair to Mourinho, he did not have Moscow in mind as he discussed winning the trophy that’s become the Holy Grail to Chelsea’s (still) billionaire boss Roman Abramovich — just that he would have won it sooner or later and probably sooner!

Mourinho said: “While I was at Chelsea we did everything but win the Champions League. We won all the other big, big trophies. There was the first League title for Chelsea in 50 years and the next year we were champions again.

“We won the first FA Cup at the new Wembley, beating Sir Alex Ferguson and Manchester United. And two Carling Cups.

“So we’d won absolutely everything apart from the Champions League. But people always want more — and at Chelsea that was the Champions League. I would have won it with Chelsea.

“My contract was until 2011, so I would have been there for seven years. It’s enough time.

“And don't forget that as well as winning all those trophies in England, we got to two Champions League semi-finals in my three years.

“So we were going in that direction. We were very close. Then Chelsea decided to make a change and suddenly it was over. But I don’t see it as unfinished business and I don’t dwell on it. I had three great years at Chelsea.

“It was a special moment for me there, there was a special feeling and I had a passion for that club — I still do. I am proud I have left a legacy there that will survive for a long, long time. And I don’t regret anything.â€

Typical Jose but he may just suffer pangs of regret today as he makes what he admits will be an emotional return to England for the first time since his shock departure.

Today, Mourinho will simply be just one more spellbound spectator as his former club take on the Reds in a top-of-the-table tussle.

The bravado of the man tells you he’s looking forward to seeing old friends and a glass of red with Sir Alex — but that the main reason for the trip is to prepare for Inter’s Champions League meeting with United next month.

“I go to Old Trafford, where I had some great moments. I go to a Chelsea game where for sure I will find in the stands people that I love and people that I know have a great feeling with me. But my focus is on United and my preparations to meet them.â€

CUP OF CHEER - Jose Mourinho celebrates Chelsea's 2007 FA Cup Final win over Manchester United

You sense the occasion and emotion of it all will get to him and re-open old wounds as well as bring back a host of memories.

But don’t think it will be daggers drawn if he sees the man who sacked him. “My relationship with Roman is fantastic,†Mourinho said.

“Everything is perfect. He’s very friendly and I’m so pleased we managed to maintain relations.

“Human relationships are very important, that’s why I am very, very happy that everything has remained so amicable.

“It was hard to leave Chelsea, hard to live without Chelsea but it was better ending it the way we did than going on for two to three more months and falling out for ever. It was better for me, better for him, better for everybody.

RUTHLESS

“We still talk and text each other — but we don’t talk about football all that much. We talk about this and that, whatever is happening with us.

“I don’t ask his opinion about my professional situation and he doesn’t ask me for advice with Chelsea.â€

Mourinho was certainly quick to defend his friend, even amid concerns about the current Blues boss Luiz Felipe Scolari, who is under mounting pressure after a disappointing run.

But Mourinho maintained: “Roman is not ruthless. That’s so wrong. Yes, there have been different managers but that’s football.

“Claudio Ranieri had his period there, then they decided to change. For three-and-a-half years I did my job there professionally.

“But they decided to change. They paid me and I was gone and I have never been back. Not yet.

STRONG

“Avram Grant took over, even though he had only been at the club for a few months. He got the money, he got the job but he did nothing, so he was gone as well. That’s what running a club is all about — making decisions, big decisions.

“Look at (owner) Massimo Moratti here at Inter. He is a champion with Roberto Mancini but still decided to make a change. That’s why I am here now and I am really enjoying it.â€

Mourinho and Abramovich were in touch only last week to wish each other a happy New Year. And that’s how Mourinho knows the Russian’s own passion for Chelsea still burns as strong.

He’s heard the ill-informed rumours that Abramovich has lost interest in the club and is cutting back dramatically after losing billions in the recession.

But the Portuguese says running Chelsea as a business was always the plan. Mourinho added: “Roman is as committed to the club as ever.

PRESSURE

“Maybe he is not spending the same amount of money as before but that was always our aim for Chelsea.

“That’s the direction we were already taking. I remember when I was talking with Peter Kenyon preparing for that last season. It was the first time that Chelsea’s transfer income had been bigger than spending. We had sold Arjen Robben to Real Madrid for £24m and also Glen Johnson and Lassana Diarra.

“We took in Steve Sidwell, Claudio Pizarro, Tal Ben Haim and Alex all for free, so we didn’t spend much.â€

Mourinho is backing the Blues to rebound to winning ways this season. He believes Scolari has the bottle and the background to be a success.

Mourinho added: “I am sure he is ready for the pressure that comes with being in charge of Chelsea. I read recently that he had said ‘real pressure’ was when he was coach of Brazil.

“He’s right. I know the passion for football in Brazil and the pressure there. If Scolari has coped with that he can cope at Chelsea.

“That’s why I believe at the end of the season he will be picking up a big trophy.â€

[callista]

maksimov posted this link in the Man Utd match chat thread and although it is about Jose going to the game, I thought it deserved a post in general category too as there is plenty of Chelsea questions.

You never know it may even tempt Callista back for a post?

Source: http://www.inter.it/aas/news/reader?N=30596&L=en

Oooooh you devil tempting me in this fashion!

Hell I'll fall for it every time though.

Read it.

Loved it.

Still love Jose warts and all.

I genuinely do believe he has a good relationship with Roman and is glad of it.

I also happen to think that he will one day return to England - not to Chelsea - but to manage another club, not sure which one, the obvious one is Man Utd but I don't think the board of directors will have him there.

As for Fergie and his "sure" response, I actually think Jose and Sir Alex have a pretty decent respect for each other, despite any spats they used to have. Fergie is one of the few coaches when I hear Jose talk about him that he sounds usually very respectful of - even when he's having a tiff with him.

I miss him and hope he comes back - great coach, great character.

Okay that's me all loved up again!

Thanks.

Edited January 13, 2009 by callista

[TheWestwayWonder]

As for Fergie and his "sure" response, I actually think Jose and Sir Alex have a pretty decent respect for each other, despite any spats they used to have. Fergie is one of the few coaches when I hear Jose talk about him that he sounds usually very respectful of - even when he's having a tiff with him.

There can be no doubt about that. The two had a definite man-crush on/bromance with eachother, and it was obvious with how they could have their little fights and get over them. Everyone knows Fergie is a bitter bar steward when things dont go his way, yet even when we were beating them, they two would reportedly talk about the game over wine. Mourinho didnt get along with any other manager, or even members of his own club, so well.

I was also reading the other day about Fergusons' comments when Jose left. He used words like "fantastic for football" and "a gift to the English game while he was here". Even Wenger was respectful. In contrast, Jose seemed to have made a genuine enemy out of Benitez.

That is, in fact, what scares me so much about his potential future in the English game. We all know Ferguson is king of the castle at Man United, because the owners there know nothing about football. If it comes time for him to give up management and they ask "who should be your replacement? Name him and we will get him", can there be any doubt Mourinho would be one of the first names out of his mouth? A born winner who he likes, and would probably love to have such an exhalted job. And surely they wouldnt be so profligate with him like we (myself definitely included) were

Like Callista, I miss the hell out of the man. His dashing outfits and hillarious facial expressions. :D

[blizeH]

This is the one thing that makes me think, you know, maybe he wasn't all that:

“That’s the direction we were already taking. I remember when I was talking with Peter Kenyon preparing for that last season. It was the first time that Chelsea’s transfer income had been bigger than spending. We had sold Arjen Robben to Real Madrid for £24m and also Glen Johnson and Lassana Diarra.

“We took in Steve Sidwell, Claudio Pizarro, Tal Ben Haim and Alex all for free, so we didn’t spend much.â€

Robben, Johnson and Diarra out - all absolute quality players and all very young.

Sidwell was out of his depth, Pizarro wasn't close to good enough, Ben Haim wasn't close to good enough and Alex is pretty average.

[callista]

This is the one thing that makes me think, you know, maybe he wasn't all that:

Robben, Johnson and Diarra out - all absolute quality players and all very young.

Sidwell was out of his depth, Pizarro wasn't close to good enough, Ben Haim wasn't close to good enough and Alex is pretty average.

Well he didn't say the incoming lot were a raging success did he!

That said, when these sales/buys were going on at that time, I got the impression that Mourinho had been told this was the way the club were going (i.e. trying to break even) and if he wanted to buy he had to either sell or get in free transfers.

So that's what he did.

I'm not suggesting Mourinho always got it right with our transfer dealings far from it but let us recall that Robben was often injured after his initial blistering brilliance and that continued at Real Madrid (at the moment I believe he's playing very well if memory serves but that could end any time knowing him). Johnson never looked like he was going to make it with us even at the second time of asking and I didn't hear people sobbing when he left and yes it was a shame about Diarra I have to admit. However, Diarra was nothing but complimentary about Mourinho when he left Chelsea and how much he helped him develop as a player. He also mentioned him again when he joined Madrid but he wasn't going to get the playing time with us with our midfield and I don't think he wanted to hang around if he wasn't going to be played regularly.

[callista]

There can be no doubt about that. The two had a definite man-crush on/bromance with eachother, and it was obvious with how they could have their little fights and get over them. Everyone knows Fergie is a bitter bar steward when things dont go his way, yet even when we were beating them, they two would reportedly talk about the game over wine. Mourinho didnt get along with any other manager, or even members of his own club, so well.

I was also reading the other day about Fergusons' comments when Jose left. He used words like "fantastic for football" and "a gift to the English game while he was here". Even Wenger was respectful. In contrast, Jose seemed to have made a genuine enemy out of Benitez.

That is, in fact, what scares me so much about his potential future in the English game. We all know Ferguson is king of the castle at Man United, because the owners there know nothing about football. If it comes time for him to give up management and they ask "who should be your replacement? Name him and we will get him", can there be any doubt Mourinho would be one of the first names out of his mouth? A born winner who he likes, and would probably love to have such an exhalted job. And surely they wouldnt be so profligate with him like we (myself definitely included) were

Like Callista, I miss the hell out of the man. His dashing outfits and hillarious facial expressions.

Love the term "man crush" I think they did (hee!). Fergie sees himself when he was younger in Mourinho and Jose has similar Fergie traits which I noted at times, throw in the fact they genuinely seemed to like having a glass of wine together after games and their tiffs never escalated like those between Wenger/Benitez and I think you have a definite almost Mills and Boon romance scenario going on!

However, I do wonder about the Man Utd scenario because Sir Bobby Charlton said in an interview recently he just couldn't see Jose managing the club (hinting I guess that he could not progress the young players and play exciting enough football).

I actually would like him to prove Sir Bobby wrong actually, although it would hurt to see him at the club but surely he must be in the frame for the job and it would be great to have him back in England again. For no other reason than to hear those press conferences again (and watch him reacting on the touch line to events), just loved to hear him talk, never ever dull.

Now we've just got Fergie sitting smug and pretty, easily bitch slapping Benitez (sigh).

Edited January 13, 2009 by callista

[Lofty]

From Sky

I saw people from Chelsea before the match, at half-time and after the match. But I didn't see Chelsea on the pitch. I only saw Manchester United

It's difficult to argue with that.

Question: will we see Chelsea at Roots Hall tonight. Or will it be yet another toothless performance almost entirely lacking in pace, guile, aggression and creativity, by a bunch of muppets masquerading as experienced internationals disorganised by an escapee from an I'm a Great Manager, Honestly I am Lookie-likey competition.