Jose Mourinho’s extraordinary managerial career has contained many memorable moments on and off the pitch, with the highly-decorated Portuguese not afraid to speak his mind.
On Wednesday night this was the case once more following Tottenham’s Champions League last-16 first-leg defeat at home to RB Leipzig. Speaking post-match, he launched an extraordinary rant defending his injury-hit squad, when it was put to him that Leipzig dominated the match.
‘Let’s be loyal to the boys and tell that they did everything they could do,’ he said.
Jose Mourinho launched an extraordinary four-minute rant after his side’s defeat by Leipzig
Tottenham fell to a 1-0 defeat and looked second-best for the majority of Wednesday’s tie
‘[Erik] Lamela, you know how many training sessions he made with the team? Zero. Direct from injury to recovering on the pitch with the physios, direct to a game on the pitch, 20 minutes in a game in the Champions League. That is our team. You can look at it and you can see the two perspectives.
‘One perspective is an amazing group with amazing guys that try everything. By another side you see how we are in this moment. It’s like going to a fight with a gun without bullets. We did what we can do. If we score before them, the game can be different.’
In light of his ‘going to a fight with a gun without bullets’ comment, Sportsmail takes a look at the 57-year-old’s infamous quotes in the past aimed at the boards of his previous managerial spells in England.
A Timo Werner penalty was the difference but the margin could have been far greater
Spurs are currently without star duo Son Heung-min (left) and Harry Kane for long spells
FIRST SPELL AT CHELSEA (2004-07)
Mourinho on Chelsea’s striker injury crisis and lack of funds in 2007
Despite winning the Premier League in his first two seasons in charge of Chelsea, Mourinho was always keen to improve his squad. However, when he didn’t get his wishes for certain players he let it be known through the media…
‘It is like having a blanket that is too small for the bed,’ he said. ‘You pull the blanket up to keep your chest warm and your feet stick out.
‘I cannot buy a bigger blanket because the supermarket is closed. But I am content because the blanket is cashmere. It is no ordinary blanket.’
Mourinho’s first spell at Chelsea was full of quips, and trophies, before it went sour
Mourinho on Chelsea’s injury crisis and lack of funds to have improved squad (his final pre-game press conference before he was sacked
Mourinho’s final match in charge of Chelsea during his first spell came at home to Rosenborg in the Champions League in September 2007 – a result that ended in a disappointing 1-1 draw in front of just 24,973 spectators.
Before that match, Mourinho vented his frustration at the state of his squad who were without Didier Drogba, Frank Lampard, Ricardo Carvalho and Michael Ballack due to injuries.
‘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.’
Mourinho watches on as Chelsea draw 1-1 with Rosenborg in the 2007-08 Champions League
SECOND SPELL AT CHELSEA (2013-15)
Mourinho says Chelsea are not title contenders despite beating Manchester City 1-0 to go two points behind Arsenal and move level with City.
A Branislav Ivanovic goal gave Chelsea victory at the Etihad in February 2014 to bring the Blues firmly in the title race but Mourinho was quick to rubbish them – highlighting the strength of Arsenal and Manchester City.
That season, Chelsea had sign a raft of players including Willian, Andre Schurrle, Samuel Eto’o, Mohamed Salah and Kurt Zouma but that wasn’t enough in Mourinho’s eyes.
‘The title race is between two horses and a little horse that needs milk and needs to learn how to jump,’ he said. ‘Maybe next season we can race.’
Despite beating Manchester City in February 2014, Mourinho felt Chelsea couldn’t win the title
MANCHESTER UNITED (2016-18)
On frustrations as United manager in July 2018 (was sacked in December 2018)
After being backed heavily in his first two seasons as Manchester United, it wasn’t a case of third time lucky for the Portuguese.
The signing of Alexis Sanchez in January 2018 was proving a major flop and the United board were reticent to finance another huge outlay. The summer of 2018 saw the arrivals of Fred, Diogo Dalot and Lee Grant but Mourinho wanted more – with Harry Maguire a prime target after an excellent World Cup with England. However, the summer beforehand had seen him sign centre back Victor Lindelof with Eric Bailly joining the year previously too.
‘I want two more players,’ he said. ‘I think I will get one. For that one, I gave my club five names.’
Mourinho was unhappy at Manchester United’s lack of transfer activity during summer 2018
OUT OF WORK (2018-19)
Takes a dig at Ed Woodward for lack of transfer activity in 2018 (speaking in August last year as a Sky Sports pundit)
After being sacked as Manchester United manager in December 2018, Mourinho immersed himself in media work – doing a lot of analysis as a TV pundit for various networks.
At the start of this season, he was working for Sky Sports and was a pundit for Manchester United’s curtain-raiser with Chelsea in August.
Reflecting on where it went wrong at United, Mourinho pointed to the fact he wasn’t allowed to sign a new centre back – with Maguire the No 1 target. Maguire joined 12 months later from Leicester City.
Asked by Sky Sports if he thought United could win the title last season Mourinho said: ‘No, when I said finishing second in the previous season, was one of my biggest achievement, I was not having fun with the words, I was just telling you what I was feeling.
‘So last season I didn’t think we did enough in the transfer market to compete for the title. I hope they feel they can [win it this time] because it will be an important motivation for them.’
Speaking on Sky, Mourinho doubted United’s title chances last season when he was in charge
In August, he took a swipe at United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward over transfers