6 Football players who have had problems with Jose Mourinho 

Introduction

The managers in the football world enjoy the special position accorded to them by players and fans. They command respect, fame, and money. Jose Mourinho, Pep Guardiola, and others enjoyed cult status. They had their share of friendship and animosity with the players.

There were several instances when the managers and the players did not get along well with each other. Dante had a problem with Pep; Anelka fought with Domenech; Wayne Rooney had an acrimonious relationship with David Moyes and so on.

We will discuss 6 football players who had a problem with Jose Mourinho.

#1. William Gallas

Gallas played for Chelsea before he moved to Arsenal in 2006. He clashed with Jose because they gave his No.13 shirt to Michael Ballack.

William felt that No.13 suited him and became an extension of his personality. When Jose gave that shirt to Ballack, he felt cheated and left the club.

In an interview, Gallas said: “In retrospect, I think we did not understand each other. It’s a great pity, as we had the same common goal: to win trophies.”

#2. Eden Hazard

Eden and Jose discussing on the field

They noticed the first sign of their acrimony when Jose took off Eden in a champions trophy match against Porto. Eden was the key player in providing Chelsea, the 2-0 lead. He was unhappy and shrugged off Jose, which audiences and the team members noticed.

Later, when Eden was struggling from his hip injury in a match against Leicester City, Mourinho coaxed him into playing which he did not like.

During one of the team meetings, Mourinho told him: “You’re not good enough for the top. I must sell you.” This has caused a massive rift between the two greats of the game.

#3. Paul Pogba

Jose instructing Paul

Paul played a huge role in France winning the World Cup this year. Manchester United bought him for £89million in 2016. The problem started when they did not pick him in all the club games last season. Pogba could not play to his potential.

Some players claim Jose was unsure of his dedication and commitment to the club. He tried various playing position for Paul, but could not extract the best out of him.

#4. Luke Shaw

Faceoff: Luke and Jose

Manchester United players were left angry when they saw Jose publicly humiliating the defender Luke Shaw, in a game against Brighton. They felt that Jose is targeting Luke although Mourinho explained later that he wanted his team to defend better. Mourinho specified of Shaw saying he was not capable of good positioning.

Earlier Jose had praised Luke for his dedication and sincerity. Whatever the reasons, this could have been kept under the wraps.

#5. Kevin De Bruyne

Kevin taking a shot

Kevin only spoke two times with Jose in his entire stint at Chelsea. Speaking of Jose, he said, “I would say (it was) distant. I am not somebody who speaks a lot with coaches. I think if the coach wants to speak with you then you do it.”

His teammates mentioned that Jose did not utilize Kevin’s abilities. Bruyne was heartbroken, and that was when he moved to Wolfsburg.

#6. Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Zlatan in pain

Zlatan left Old Trafford in March 2018 after spending over 1.5 years with the club. The Swede had earlier played under Jose at Inter Milan. The discord began when Ibrahimovic suffered a knee injury in April 2017.

According to Zlatan, Jose grew distant from him after this incident. He felt he needed Jose the most. Instead of providing him sufficient rest, Jose used him in every match. This became a feuding point between both.

When asked about Jose, The Swede said: “He said the only problem he had with me was when he could rest me.”