Jose Mourinho will always be known as one of football's best ever coaches. However, despite the incredible successes he achieved on the pitch, sometimes what made him the toast of football fans across the globe was about what he did off it.
To be more specific, it was about what he said in the press conference rooms. At his peak, the legendary football manager was pure cinema. He gave the football media headlines upon headlines, and fans quotables to savor for years, even on days when he preferred not to speak.
Let's take a look at some of the best ever Mourinho quotes across his illustrious career in football management.
Top 10 Jose Mourinho Quotes
These are the ten best quotes from Jose Mourinho in order of contextual importance and iconic relevance:
10.
“It’s not important how we play. If you have a Ferrari and I have a small car, to beat you in a race I have to break your wheel or put sugar in your tank.”
With five European trophies and 7 league titles, Jose Mourinho is not only one of football’s most successful coaches, he's also one of the game’s most widely traveled. In his two years at Italian giants Inter, he won the much coveted treble, beating Barcelona in the semi finals of the UEFA Champions League.
Despite his team boasting world class players such as Wesley Sneidjer, Javier Zannetti, Maicon and Samuel Eto’o, Jose chose to compare his side to a "small car” compared to Barca's team. The Special One loved the underdog tag, and he used it well throughout his career, becoming arguably the original knockout manager before Tuchel.
9.
“The style of how we play is very important. But it is omelettes and eggs. No eggs – no omelettes! It depends on the quality of the eggs. In the supermarket you have class one, two or class three eggs and some are more expensive than others and some give you better omelettes. So when the class one eggs are in Waitrose and you cannot go there, you have a problem.”
Under the ownership of Roman Abrahamovic, Chelsea were known as the team that splashed the cash at will, which earned them some animosity within the circle of England’s traditional ‘big teams’. They basically walked so City could run. But that never stopped Jose from complaining about lack of cash, which was what he did with this legendary omelets and eggs analogy.
8.
“He (God) must think I’m a great guy, he must think that because otherwise he would not have given me so much… he must have a very high opinion of me.”
The Special One's quotes aren't always about proclaiming his own greatness, antagonizing an opposition manager or embracing the underdog tag. After winning the Champions League with Inter Milan in 2011, he joked with reporters about God's opinion of him.
7.
“If he is right and I am afraid of failure it is because I didn’t fail many times. Eight years without silverware, that’s failure. He’s a specialist in failure. If I do that in Chelsea, eight years, I leave and don’t come back.”
Mourinho’s time in England not only produced some of his most memorable quotes, it also produced one of the most intense managerial rivalries the game has ever seen. Jose Mourinho vs Arsene Wenger was a blockbuster, on the pitch and in the press conferences. Both managers were constantly at each other's throats and Jose only made it worse when he scathingly referred to Wenger as a “specialist in failure”.
6.
“When you enjoy what you do, you don’t lose your hair, and Guardiola is bald. He doesn’t enjoy football.”
This jibe was taken at Guardiola during Mourinho's second stint at Chelsea, in 2014. A year before he returned to Chelsea, Mourinho and Guardiola were sparring in a different league altogether, sitting in the dugouts for Real Madrid and Barcelona respectively.
Even after Mourinho left Chelsea the second time, he and Pep would go on to face each other some more as Mourinho had spells at Manchester United and Tottenham. Pep may have won the war, but most people remember this quote more.
5.
“I have nothing, nothing to say. Nothing, nothing to say. Nothing to say, I have nothing to say. Nothing to say, I am so sorry, I have nothing to say.”
Chelsea had just been beaten by Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool at Stamford Bridge. At 3-1, the scoreline was embarrassing, but it was also at Stamford Bridge and worse, their third defeat in four games. The mood at the club was horrible and everywhere you looked, there was talk of The Special One’s future in London being in serious doubt.
It was in the midst of this that BT reporter Des Kelly tried to get something out of the disgruntled manager, but Mourinho was in no mood to be chatty. Somehow this Mourinho quote still went viral even though he had “nothing to say”.
4.
“I prefer not to comment because if you want to speak about big decisions, you don’t just speak about the red cards, I prefer not to speak. If I speak, I am in big trouble, and I don’t want to be in big trouble.”
Chelsea fell to a surprising defeat at the hands of an unfancied Aston Villa side in 2014. The game was marred by a number of controversial refereeing decisions, so at the post match interview, the reporter asked Mourinho to comment on the officiating he just witnessed. His reply became the second iconic Mourinho quote that went viral from him not wanting to speak. Absolute bonkers, isn't it?
3.
“They can call me what they want. Until the moment they have a manager that wins four Premier Leagues for them, I’m the number one. When they have somebody that wins more, I become number two. Until this moment Judas is number one.”
Mourinho’s time at most of the clubs he managed weren't romantic by any means, but Chelsea was different. He loved Chelsea and talked about the club in the most endearing terms. But in 2018, Mourinho faced Chelsea as manager of Manchester United. The Chelsea fans, who were not quite at ease with the development, labeled him a “Judas”. Mourinho's response was one for the headlines.
2.
“Do you know how many United players left the club last season? See where they play, how they play, if they play. That's football heritage.”
As manager of Manchester United, The Special One faced even more scrutiny, which in turn produced more Mourinho quotes for the history books. This one though, was more of a rant than a one liner.
After suffering a Champions League elimination at the hands of Sevilla, Mourinho launched into an incredible 12 minute tirade about players that left United. That rant has gone on to become one of the most iconic moments of Jose Mourinho’s career. Absolutely football heritage!
1.
“We have top players and, sorry if I'm arrogant, we have a top manager. 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 a European champion and I think I'm a special one.”
In June 2004, a 41-year old Portuguese coach was introduced to the media at Stamford Bridge as the club's new manager. Mourinho had just won the UEFA Champions League with an unfancied Porto, and if anyone thought coming into a new country and a new league, he was going to be humble and unassuming, they were mistaken.
The new Chelsea manager didn't mince words in reminding everyone present how much he thinks of himself, and that press conference not only went on to become one of football’s most iconic, but also gave Jose his now famous moniker, “The Special One”.
More Quotes Before Retirement?
Jose Mourinho has already cemented his legacy as one of football's greatest managers with a career spanning Portugal, England, Spain and Italy. He's now manager at Fenerbahce in Turkey, where he dropped yet another iconic quote at his unveiling. We can only hope he continues to serve us pure cinema moments before he leaves football.