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#7 Claude Makelele (Chelsea)
Chelsea’s success under Mourinho in the Portuguese’s first stint at the club was built on the defensive solidity of John Terry and the attacking talents of Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard. However, another player was equally important – if not more important – to the cause.
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That player was defensive midfielder Claude Makelele. Makelele was signed by Mourinho’s predecessor Claudio Ranieri. But it was under ‘The Special One’ in the 2004-05 campaign that the Frenchman’s real worth became clear.
A low-profile individual, Makelele had a simple role in Mourinho’s all-conquering Blues side. He would sit at the deepest point of Chelsea’s midfield, where he would win the ball back from the opposition. He would then use his passing skills to feed it forward, facilitating attacks.
English football had always had midfield enforcers – the likes of Roy Keane and Paul Ince – but none had been quite so cultured as Makelele. The Frenchman could blend his defensive side into his more attacking instincts seamlessly. And the benefit on Chelsea’s fortunes was tremendous.
Despite being 32 years old at the time of Mourinho’s arrival at Stamford Bridge, the Frenchman was practically an ever-present during the Portuguese’s reign. He won five major trophies with Chelsea. And his influence on how the holding midfielder was viewed in England remains huge today, with the likes of N’Golo Kante carrying his mantle.
Mourinho has managed plenty of flashy players who could easily have made this list. But arguably none had the impact of Makelele on one of his side’s fortunes. The fact that he departed Stamford Bridge at the end of the same campaign that saw Mourinho leave almost feels poetic.
#8 Eden Hazard (Chelsea)
Belgian winger Eden Hazard signed for Chelsea in the summer of 2012 and quickly established himself as a key player for the Blues. When Mourinho arrived back at Stamford Bridge the following summer, it initially appeared that the two men would be incompatible.
Hazard enjoyed a fantastic first season under the Portuguese in 2013-14, scoring 17 goals in all competitions for the Blues. However, the club finished the campaign trophyless. The Belgian even hit out at Mourinho in the press following Chelsea’s Champions League elimination at the hands of Atletico Madrid.
Hazard claimed that the Blues were only set up to counter-attack. This was a comment that Mourinho retorted to by suggesting the Belgian wasn’t “mentally ready” to help his defence. Hazard was later voted Chelsea’s Player of the Year, but it appeared there were question marks over his future.
Nobody need have worried. The Belgian clearly bought into Mourinho’s philosophies, as his efforts in 2014-15 were absolutely phenomenal. The campaign saw him score 14 Premier League goals and register nine assists as the Blues won their first title in five years.
As the season ended, the Belgian was voted Chelsea’s Player of the Year again. Additionally, Hazard was also declared the FWA Footballer of the Year, the Premier League Player of the Season, and the PFA Players’ Player of the Year.
Like the majority of Chelsea’s squad at the time, Hazard’s form fell off during the fateful 2015-16 campaign that saw Mourinho unceremoniously fired. However, his form during the previous two seasons – 2014-15 in particular – earns him a spot as one of the Portuguese’s greatest ever players.
#9 Samuel Eto’o (Inter Milan)
The move that took Samuel Eto’o from Barcelona – where he’d scored 130 goals in 199 appearances – to Inter Milan in the summer of 2009 still seems like a curious one today. At the time, it seemed hard to guess which club had gotten the better side of the deal. Barcelona received Zlatan Ibrahimovic – but Inter somehow got Eto’o and €46m.
By the end of the 2009-10 campaign, it was clear who’d come out on top. Nobody could dispute Ibrahimovic’s greatness. But while his lone season at the Nou Camp was good, Eto’o’s debut campaign at the San Siro was better.
Along with fellow new signing Wesley Sneijder, Eto’o gave Mourinho’s Inter the edge that they’d been missing somewhat in the previous season. Absolutely clinical in front of goal, the Cameroon international scored 12 Serie A goals and registered six assists as his side retained the Scudetto. But like Sneijder, Eto’o’s best performances were reserved for European competition.
During Inter’s eventually victorious Champions League campaign under Mourinho, the Cameroonian was absolutely incredible. His return of two goals and two assists doesn’t sound like much on paper. But his work-rate was astonishing, particularly in Inter’s semi-final victory over Barcelona. And in the final, it was Eto’o who set up Diego Milito for Inter’s second goal.
Eto’o enjoyed another fruitful season at the San Siro once Mourinho departed, but never again reached the heights that he did under ‘The Special One’. Indeed, the deal that brought him to Inter may well remain the best piece of transfer business that the Portuguese was ever involved in.
#10 Didier Drogba (Chelsea)
If Chelsea were to build a ‘Mount Rushmore’ of players from Mourinho’s first tenure with the club, then John Terry, Frank Lampard and Claude Makelele’s faces would likely be etched in stone. And the other player to be carved alongside them would almost certainly be Ivorian striker Didier Drogba.
It seems hard to believe now, but many fans questioned Mourinho’s judgment when he convinced Chelsea to part with a then-record fee of £24m to bring Drogba to Stamford Bridge. At the time, the striker was largely unproven at the top level, even if he’d scored 32 goals in his lone season at Marseille.
His first season at Chelsea saw him help the club to their first Premier League title. Although his return of 10 league goals – rising to 16 in all competitions – wasn’t considered that impressive. The Blues’ title win had been built upon their defensive solidity more than anything else, but the best was yet to come from the Ivorian.
2005-06 was when fans really started to see the best of Drogba. Sure, he only scored another 16 goals. But his efforts in leading the line for Chelsea were markedly improved. And his reputation as a player willing to engage in football’s ‘Dark Arts’ only seemed to endear him further to Mourinho. When the season ended, Chelsea – and Drogba – had another Premier League title to their name.
While the Blues failed to retain their crown in 2006-07 – winning the EFL and FA Cups instead – Drogba hit new heights on a personal note. He scored 33 goals in all competitions – including a Golden Boot-winning return of 20 in the Premier League. He also scored the winning goal in the FA Cup final.
Mourinho departed Chelsea during the campaign that followed, but that wasn’t the end of his relationship with Drogba. ‘The Special One’ returned to Stamford Bridge in 2013. And a year later, it was announced that the Ivorian was to return to the club as a free agent for one last season.
Naturally, the old magic was still there. Although he was used as more of a backup option, the then-36 year old still chipped in with seven goals and made 40 appearances. In his final game at the club – a win over Sunderland – he was named captain by Mourinho. This was a sign of the tremendous respect and adulation that the Portuguese had for the striker.
