Jose Mourinho has named the ‘dream’ player he wishes he would have coached during his managerial career.
Currently, Mourinho is in charge of Turkish side Fenerbahçe. In recent years, the level of clubs he has managed has diminished, but he still has an impressive list of players he has worked with.
From his 2004/05 Premier League winning side to his 2009/10, he has worked closely with several footballing legends. Mourinho has managed the likes of Samuel Eto’o, Didier Drogba, Frank Lampard and Cristiano Ronaldo.
However, despite all his achievements, the Portuguese still regrets not coaching a handful of players. And it might not be who you thought.
Despite managing Manchester United, Real Madrid and Inter Milan in his prime, he often had come up with a plan to stop Lionel Messi rather than having the chance to coach him.
“For example, I never got to train Lionel Messi, but then nobody can train Messi,” Mourinho told YouTuber OHM earlier this year.
“It is absurd to think you could coach him, because he was born with everything and already knows everything. He might teach you some things. All you could say is that you had the honour of having him in your squad.”
At the time, Mourinho was manager of Serie A side Roma, which may have influenced some of his choices.
“To stay in the Roma theme, I would’ve liked to have [Daniele] De Rossi at Inter and Real Madrid, but it was not possible.
“I also wanted [Francesco] Totti at Inter, despite his age at the time, but it was not possible either. These are players I always wanted in my career,” added the 61-year-old.
Jose Mourinho is currently Fenerbache boss (Credit:Getty)
Mourinho, despite slowing down in terms of trophies, was seen as a hero in Rome. He oversaw their Europa Conference League triumph in 2022 and was visibly upset when he departed the club in January 2024.
Ironically, the man who replaced Mourinho in Rome was in fact De Rossi, but he too, has since moved on.
Mourinho will never get the chance to manage De Rossi or Totti. Lionel Messi, 37, is playing in the MLS with Inter Miami, it is unlikely their paths will ever cross.
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