Jose Mourinho’s all-time XI: Porto, Chelsea, Inter Milan and Real Madrid sides were littered with top talent… but who makes final cut?
Special One has won the Champions League, Premier League, La Liga and a Treble with Inter in stellar managerial career
JOSE MOURINHO is next in our all-time XI series for some of the game’s great managers.
A Champions League-winner with Porto and Inter Milan, as well as Premier League and La Liga titles with Chelsea and Real Madrid respectively, the self-proclaimed Special One has managed some of the best players of his generation.
Stars such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Ashley Cole are off limits owing to the fact they enjoyed longer stints under other managers in this series.
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Right through the entire team, there is a real battle for every position.
Here is Mourinho’s all-time XI
Goalkeeper
Petr Cech
IKER CASILLAS does technically qualify, but Mourinho’s relationship with the World Cup-winner rule him out.
Julio Cesar, who was instrumental en route to Champions League glory at Inter is another contender, while Vitor Baia rarely let anyone down at Porto.
But Cech is head and shoulders above them all.
Broke the minutes without conceding record in his first season under Mourinho and together they won the Premier League on three occasions.
Defence
Sergio Ramos
MOURINHO eventually converted him to a centre-back, but spent the majority of his time under the Special One at right-back.
Ramos is not everyone’s cup of tea, but his record speaks for itself.
Rash and unpopular, but a world class defender who has won everything there is to win in the game — and pops up with big goals when his team need him most.
Beats off competition from Maicon, who was terrific under Mourinho at Inter.
John Terry
AN IMPOSING figure and Mourinho’s reliable captain at Chelsea.
Terry never let his manager down, contributed big goals such as the towering winner against Barcelona — and won the PFA Players’ Player of the Year award in the Portuguese boss’ first season.
No one has won more Premier League titles as captain.
Ricardo Carvalho
SO GOOD, Mourinho brought him along to three clubs.
Carvalho was a class act — the skill to Terry’s brawn.
Mourinho’s fellow countryman can claim to be the best defender he worked with.
Marcelo
ESTABLISHED himself as the best left-back around under Mourinho.
The Brazilian was a brilliant attacking outlet and solid defensively.
Marcelo just edges out Cristian Chivu, who Mourinho worked with at Inter.
Defensive midfield
Javier Zanetti
HE WAS 36 when Mourinho took as Inter boss in 2009.
But he was still so good, the Argentine could adapt in defensive midfield, while also filling in a right-back, if needed.
Zanetti was Mourinho’s captain and broke the Inter appearance record during the Special One’s tenure.
Lifted the Champions League trophy — as well as those of Serie A and Coppa Italia — in the Treble-winning 2009-10 season.
Claude Makelele
ESTEBAN CAMBIASSO was a strong contender, as was Maniche, who Mourinho briefly brought over to Stamford Bridge from Porto in his second season.
But Makelele was a vital cog in his superb Chelsea side.
Michael Essien was another brilliant player for him, but the Frenchman’s role in his team was iconic.
So vital, it became a mainstay position in great sides to come.
Relater Articles
Attacking midfield
Deco
MOURINHO’S playmaker at Porto.
Deco’s coolly taken goal in Gelsenkirchen made it 2-0, as Porto beat Monaco in the 2004 Champions League final.
The Portuguese ace finished just behind Andriy Shevchenko in the Ballon d’Or standings that year.
He was a classy player, who was turned into a world star by Mourinho.
Frank Lampard
ANOTHER player Mourinho vastly improved.
Lampard’s goal record it second to none and he stepped up with the arrival of the Special One.
His double clinched Chelsea’s first title for 50 years.
Like Deco, he finishes as runner up in the Ballon d’Or standings.
Wesley Sneijder
INTER’S version of Deco and Lampard under Mourinho.
Wesley Sneijder was the Nerazzurri playmaker and the signing which gave them belief they could compete with the best around.
Sneijder scored important late winners in Serie A and his equaliser in the semi-final win over Barcelona sparked one of the club’s most famous victories in its history.
Forward
Didier Drogba
DIEGO MILITO was Mourinho’s undoubted attacking star at Inter and will feel hard done by to miss out.
While Benni McCarthy never really came into contention.
Karim Benzema is another superstar striker to work under Mourinho — but it has to be Drogba.
The Ivorian was a revelation at Chelsea, who actually started slow, but became a monster in his third campaign.
And he even came back to win a third league title with the Special One.
Sir Alex Ferguson's all-time XI
Carlo Ancelotti's all-time XI
