All-time XI managed by Jose Mourinho

Jose Mourinho is widely regarded as one of the greatest managers of the modern era and the Portuguese tactician's journey from Bobby Robson's translator to proclaiming himself as the Special One, on his way to winning numerous accolades is quite the story, to say the least. Since making a name for himself as one of the astute footballing minds under the legendary Englishman, Mourinho's first big break came at FC Porto where he went on to defy the odds and win the Champions League, club football's most decorated prize.

The two-time European Cup winner is also credited with putting Chelsea Football Club back on the map, as he was the first big manager to take over the reins at the London club in the Roman Abramovich era and in doing so, he went on to shape the future of one of the most successful English clubs in the modern era.

In recent years, the Special One has come under immense scrutiny for failing to adapt to modern football and has made a shock return to the touchline, replacing Mauricio Pochettino in the Tottenham Hotspur dugout. The 56-year-old has claimed that he's reinvented himself in his time away from the game and upon taking charge of Spurs, chairman Daniel Lewy has revealed that he was blown away by manager's aura, indicating that he is fresh and raring to go.

Over the years, Mourinho has managed some of the best footballers in the world and players past and present have waxed lyrical about his abilities as a coach. On that note, after much deliberation, we've put together an all-time XI of the players who have been managed by the legendary Portuguese tactician.

Goalkeeper - Petr Cech

Petr Cech made a name for himself as one of the best goalkeepers in the Premier League era under the tutelage of Mourinho and the Czech shot-stopper will be remembered for a long time for his exploits in London. Cech initially second fiddle to Carlo Cudicini but an injury to the Italian paved way for his introduction in 2004, a chance he grabbed with both hands as he went on to establish himself as an indispensable member of the Chelsea side that won back to back Premier League titles.

At the end of his first full season with the Blues, Cech finished with 21 clean sheets and Mourinho's side conceded just 15 goals on their way to winning the Premier League, a record that stands till date. The legendary goalkeeper also holds the record for the most number of clean sheets by a goalkeeper in the Premier League era, registering 202 clean sheets in a 15-year career in England with Arsenal and Chelsea.

Despite crossing the London divide to join Arsenal in his twilight years, Cech is highly regarded by both sets of fans and has etched his name in Premier League history as one of the competition's greatest ever goalkeepers.

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Defenders - Javier Zanetti, Ricardo Carvalho, John Terry, Ashley Cole

Traditionally, Jose Mourinho's teams have been resolute defensively and have broken long-standing defensive records over the years, particularly in the Premier League. One player who has followed the Portuguese to three clubs is compatriot Ricardo Carvalho, who won league titles in Portugal, England and Spain under the Special One.

Javier Zanetti is an obvious choice at right-back and the legendary Argentine was a mainstay of Mourinho's treble-winning team at Inter, going on to retire as one of the greatest ever players in his position. Zanetti was the club captain as the Nerrazurri registered an unprecedented treble in the 2010/11 season and retired as the most capped player in the club's decorated history, going on to be named in Italian Football's Hall of Fame in 2018.

John Terry is widely regarded as the greatest centre half in Premier League history and the Englishman cemented his status as one of the greats of the game under Mourinho. After emerging from the Chelsea academy, Terry retired with 15 major honours in a career spanning 19 years with the Blues.

Ashley Cole sealed a controversial switch from Arsenal after the North London club became the first side in top-flight history to remain unbeaten for an entire league season and since then, he went on to establish himself as an indispensable member for club and country. Cole was a complete full-back on his day and is arguably the greatest left-back in Premier League history.

Midfielders - Claudio Makelele, Frank Lampard, Wesley Sneijder

In the heart of the midfield, Claudio Makelele's contribution will remain under-appreciated for years to come but the French international was a vital cog of Mourinho's set up at Chelsea. The defensive midfielder sealed a move to the Blues from Real Madrid, much to the displeasure of compatriot Zinedine Zidane but since making the move to England, Makelele's performance in the base of the midfield allowed the likes of Frank Lampard and Deco to flourish in the final third of the pitch.

Frank Lampard is arguably the greatest midfielder in Premier League history and the Englishman's inclusion should come as no surprise. Aside from the fact that he lead the Blues when called upon, Lampard's ability to make late runs into the box made him a serial matchwinner for Mourinho. The former West Ham man was recognised for his incredible individual performances numerous times in his career, most notably in 2005 when he came within touching distance of winning the then FIFA Ballon, eventually finishing second behind Ronaldinho.

Wesley Sneijder's exploits in the Inter Milan's treble-winning season will be remembered for years to come and the Dutchman lead from the front in 2009, as Mourinho oversaw one of the most historic seasons in the Nerrazurri's illustrious history. Sneijder's match-winning ability from the centre of the park made him a vital cog of Mourinho's set-up and he was recognized for his exploits for club and country that season, as he joined Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in the podium for the Ballon d'Or in 2010.

Forwards - Eden Hazard, Didier Drogba, Cristiano Ronaldo

Manchester United v Chelsea - Premier League

Eden Hazard is widely regarded as one of the most naturally talented players to ever grace the Premier League and the Belgian genius was one of Jose Mourinho's most trusted lieutenants before the pair eventually fell out in late 2015. Since making a big-money move to Chelsea, Hazard has won two Premier League titles under two different managers and was recognized for his stellar individual performances, as he picked up the PFA Players Player of the Year award in 2015.

Although he was a late bloomer, Didier Drogba will go down as one of the best players in the history of Chelsea Football Club. Mourinho famously mentioned the Ivorian striker when Abrahamovic asked him who he'd want to lead the line at Stamford Bridge, and although he was an unknown commodity at the time, he made a name for himself as one of the most feared strikers in the Premier League at the time. Drogba's exploits in big games earned him cult hero status at the club and the striker will be remembered for years to come for his time in London.

Cristiano Ronaldo's exploits at Real Madrid will remain unprecedented for years to come and the Portuguese hitman enjoyed some of the most fruitful years of his career under his compatriot, as he spearheaded Los Blancos to the league title in 2011-12 season. As the Spanish giants won their first league title in four years by tallying a whopping 100 points, Mourinho ended Pep Guardiola's dominance in Spain and had his talisman to thank for it, as he scored more than 60 goals in all competitions and earned himself a nomination for the Ballon d'Or that year, before eventually losing out to Lionel Messi.

Edited by Zaid Khan