5 biggest mistakes made by Jose Mourinho in his managerial career

Jose Mourinho was sacked by Tottenham Hotspur recently.
Jose Mourinho was sacked by Tottenham Hotspur recently.

#3 Jose Mourinho seldom gives chances to youngsters

Japhet Tanganga (left) and Jose Mourinho after a game
Japhet Tanganga (left) and Jose Mourinho after a game

Jose Mourinho has often been blamed for not giving enough opportunities to young players at the highest level.

The clubs that he has been at have backed him well in transfer windows, signing big names and superstar players to ensure that Jose Mourinho delivers the big trophies.

During his stints at Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur, Jose Mourinho did not use academy players extensively. Manchester United midfielder Scott McTominay and Tottenham Hotspur defender Japhet Tanganga are two such names that come to mind in this regard.

While that could be because clubs that appoint Jose Mourinho demand immediate success, there is a perception that the Portuguese seldom plans long-term at any club.


#4 Overlooking Mohamed Salah and Kevin De Bruyne at Chelsea

Jose Mourinho (left) and Mohamed Salah
Jose Mourinho (left) and Mohamed Salah

Two of the biggest stars in Europe, Kevin De Bruyne and Mohamed Salah, used to play for Chelsea under Jose Mourinho.

Mohamed Salah joined Chelsea from Basel in 2014 for a fee of £15 million, after some impressive performances for the Swiss club.

However, the Egyptian barely featured at Chelsea during Mourinho's reign at the club. Salah was subsequently farmed out on loan to Fiorentina and Roma and was signed by the latter permanently. Now, the 28-year old is a star at Liverpool and is regarded as one of the best attackers in football.

Similarly, Kevin De Bruyne was a highly talented midfielder who joined Chelsea from Genk in 2012 for a fee of £7 million. Like Salah, though, the Belgium international barely got a sniff at Chelsea under Jose Mourinho before he made his name at Bundesliga side Wolfsburg.

The 29-year old is now arguably the best player in the Premier League and a key cog in Pep Guardiola's Manchester City, widely regarded as the best team in Europe at the moment.


#5 Falling out with key players

Paul Pogba and Jose Mourinho did not enjoy the best of relationships.
Paul Pogba and Jose Mourinho did not enjoy the best of relationships.

At Jose Mourinho's latter clubs, there was a disturbing pattern of the Portuguese not enjoying the best of relations with the team's star men.

At Real Madrid, Jose Mourinho was often critical of legendary goalkeeper Iker Casillas, while star centre-back Sergio Ramos endured a fractious relationship with his manager. It has been suggested that Portugal internationals Cristiano Ronaldo and Pepe were also not huge fans of Jose Mourinho.

At Chelsea, it was reported that Eden Hazard and midfielder Cesc Fabregas had fallen out with Mourinho. Both players had played key roles in Chelsea's Premier League triumph the season before.

At Manchester United, Jose Mourinho's controversial relationship with French midfielder Paul Pogba is well documented.

Mourinho was the manager when Manchester United spent a then world-record fee of £94.5 million to acquire Pogba. After a good start, things soured so much so that Mourinho was reportedly willing to let go of the Frenchman.

Anthony Martial and Luke Shaw were also not in good terms with Mourinho.


Also Read: 5 most valuable midfielders in La Liga (2021).

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Edited by Bhargav
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