Mourinho has blatant dig at Rafa Benitez…
Jose Mourinho has dismissed Chelsea’s Europa League victory last season, claiming that he has no intentions of ever winning that particular competition, according to BBC Sport.
In another addition to his summer sound-bites, the Portuguese manager has downplayed Chelsea’s achievements before he arrived back at the club.
“I don’t want to win the Europa League,” said Chelsea’s returning maverick manager.
“It would be a big disappointment for me. I don’t want my players to feel the Europa League is our competition.”
The comments will naturally rile Rafael Benitez, who led Chelsea to another European triumph last season, a year on from their famous Champions League victory. He said in May that the triumph was a “special achievement,” for his Chelsea side, but Mourinho clearly doesn’t think so.
Ironically, Benitez is arguably a major reason Mourinho is managing the Blues in the Champions League in the coming season. Along with his Europa league win, the Spanish manager finished third in the league, guaranteeing Mourinho a chance to compete in Europe’s premier competition.
Throughout Mourinho’s first tenure as Chelsea boss, it was well publicised that he did not get on well with Benitez, especially after Liverpool’s controversial Champions League semi-final win in 2005. Interestingly, the two managers have followed each other round Europe ever since, with Benitez taking over Mourinho at Inter Milan, and Mourinho taking over Benitez at Stamford Bridge.
Mourinho’s comments echo some of the more controversial quotes from his career, and the English media will no doubt be even more excited about his return after this latest gem.
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