Jose Mourinho takes a swipe at several of his former clubs after claiming he has been ‘misled’

Jose Mourinho looks to have taken a swipe at a number of his former clubs after claiming he has been ‘misled’ and made mistakes over certain projects in the past.

Roma boss Mourinho took up his new role in Italy just a matter of days after being sacked by Tottenham, and he has now taken the time to reflect back on his career and a number of jobs that ended on sour terms.

After sealing a return to Serie A at the Stadio Olimpico, Mourinho also insisted that his ‘passion’ and drive for his craft has returned – and he has labelled the challenge as ‘Mission: Impossible’ due to the expectation for him to win.

In a lengthy interview with GQ Portugal, the 58-year-old Mourinho was asked whether the direction of a club impacts his choices over his next destination.

‘I make mistakes sometimes, I haven’t always chosen the right project, or I may have been misled about the path of some projects,’ the ‘Special One’ admitted. 

‘I’ve made mistakes or I’ve been led in a dishonest way into accepting what I shouldn’t have, but in the end it’s all the same.

Mourinho has claimed that several ill-fated projects had seen him treated in a ‘dishonest way’

‘These aren’t my words, they were said by someone who was much more important than me: Whoever has goals and drive, will never grow older.

‘I still can’t believe that I have 30 years of experience in professional football, or that I am 58 years old, because I am always renewing my motivation.’

His last two forays into management came with Manchester United and Spurs, and both ended with the axe being brought down on him.

Mourinho led United to three trophies in total – the Community Shield, EFL Cup and the Europa League – before being removed from his role after his third season in charge spectacularly unravelled.

His stint with Manchester United ended in a sacking despite the initial promise at his unveiling

Mourinho’s third season fell apart at Old Trafford, but he insisted the stint came in ‘transition’

And, despite a promising start to his tenure, the end result was the same in north London, with Tottenham having been adrift of the Champions League spots and eliminated from Europe in humiliating fashion.

The legendary coach highlighted that the two projects came at clubs struggling to return to its glory days, or with a poor track record in competitions, and has admitted his new role comes with similar pressures.

‘Lately I’ve been having very different projects to before. I went to Manchester United in a phrase of transition, not to say decay,’ Mourinho added.

Having penned a three-year deal with Roma, Mourinho revealed that his passion has returned

‘I went to Tottenham who don’t have a history of success. Now I go to Roma with new owners, but I immediately felt this empathy with the owners, the director and they straight away reignited the fire and passion I have for my job.

‘So here I go on another Mission: Impossible. I say impossible because people tend to look at me and in their eyes there’s only one way to measure success, which is that I have to win.’

Mourinho put pen to paper on a three-year deal to take the reins in Rome, a shock move that came shortly after his Spurs departure. And now, he has revealed just how soon talks began with his new club.

A mural showing Mourinho riding a Vespa decorates a wall in Rome ahead of the coach’s arrival

‘They really wanted me,’ he said. ‘It was almost instantly, me leaving Tottenham in the morning and Roma calling me in the afternoon. 

‘They wanted me a lot and were objective.’ 

He went on to add: ‘They were very honest and straightforward, and I immediately felt this passion I have for my work. So I didn’t have to think too much about it, because they really touched me with their approach. I really liked it.’