Less than a month has passed since Jose Mourinho parted ways with AS Roma as their head coach. The Portuguese tactician is among several accomplished managers currently on the market, standing alongside figures such as Antonio Conte and Hansi Flick.
While it’s been confirmed by sporting director Deco that Jose Mourinho is unlikely to be an option for FC Barcelona this summer, the former Chelsea manager has recently expressed admiration for the ex-Barça superstar, Lionel Messi.
Mourinho on Lionel Messi
When asked to name a player he would have liked to coach throughout his managerial career, Jose Mourinho immediately singled out Lionel Messi. The Portuguese coach expressed his desire, stating, “Messi. I never got to train Lionel Messi, but then nobody can train Messi,” as reported by Football-Italia.
Labeling the idea of coaching Lionel Messi as absurd, Jose Mourinho emphasized that Messi was born with innate talent and knowledge, making it unlikely for anyone to coach him. According to Mourinho, the scenario might be reversed, with Messi potentially teaching coaches a thing or two. The coach remarked that if Messi were part of your squad, all one could claim is the honor of having him, as reported by Football-Italia.
Despite never coaching Messi, Mourinho’s managerial journey began at Barcelona, where he served as an assistant manager from 1996 to 2000 before moving on to become the head coach at Benfica. Interestingly, Messi joined Barcelona a few years after Mourinho’s tenure at the club.
Throughout his managerial career, Mourinho has led some of football’s most exceptional talents, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Sergio Ramos, Frank Lampard, Iker Casillas, and Mesut Ozil. Notably, Mourinho’s tenure at Real Madrid contributed to Ronaldo’s development into a formidable rival of Messi, with the two players dominating the football world ever since.
