"Please don't call me arrogant, but I'm European champion and I think I'm a special one." - Mourinho makes his brilliantly judged greeting to the English press after taking the Chelsea job in 2004.
"Young players are a little bit like melons. Only when you open and taste the melon are you 100%" - So now we know what Steve Sidwell tastes like: rancid melon!
"Look at my haircut. I am ready for the war." - Jose after a fresh trim.
"Cristiano Ronaldo is fantastic. I will not compare him with Messi, we're talking about two great players. I will say this year Cristiano Ronaldo has been better." - Mourinho refuses to compare the two best player in the world, before saying that Ronaldo is better. 26 April, 2012.
"The style of how we play is very important. But it is omelettes and eggs. No eggs - no omelettes! It depends on the quality of the eggs. In the supermarket you have class one, two or class three eggs and some are more expensive than others and some give you better omelettes. So when the class one eggs are in Waitrose and you cannot go there, you have a problem." - Mourinho gives a masterclass in the art of the extended metaphor.
"If they made a film of my life, I think they should get George Clooney to play me. He's a fantastic actor and my wife thinks he would be ideal." - A big fan of Fantastic. Mr Fox then, Jose.
"My wife is in Portugal with the dog. The dog is with my wife so the city of London is safe, the big threat is away." - Mourinho after his Yorkshire Terrier had issues with customs.
"Look, I'm a coach, I'm not Harry Potter. He is magical, but in reality there is no magic. Magic is fiction and football is real." - Jose's lost his magic wand.
"I always wanted to coach a big club in Italy. The job at Inter is a big challenge for me. And I do believe it could be very entertaining for the journalists." - Jose looks forward to keeping the journos on their toes.
"Whoever arrives will be lucky because they will get the chance to play in three finals, the Italian Super Cup, European Super Cup and World Club tournament, a present I have left.'' - Mourinho in his first press conference for Madrid.
"If I am hated at Barcelona, it is their problem but not mine. Fear is not a word in my football dictionary." - The former Barca employee on his arrival at the Bernabeu.
"As you Spanish are world champions, your friends in the press protect you ... like the goalkeeper" - Mourinho with another dig at exiled keeper Casillas.
"I'm not bothered by the whistles at me. It's not a problem. It's the first time it's ever happened to me. There's a first time for practically everything. [Zinedine] Zidane was whistled at here. Ronaldo has been whistled at here. Cristiano [Ronaldo], who is the latest Golden Boot winner, has also been whistled at. Why can't I? Zidane responded with his football, the same as Ronaldo and Cristiano. I work hard to be able to respond like they did some day, but there may come a day when the fans are sad." - Mourinho warns Madrid fans they don't know what they've got until it's gone, 23 January 2012.
"I am prepared. The more pressure there is, the stronger I am. In Portugal, we say the bigger the ship, the stronger the storm. Fortunately for me, I have always been in big ships. FC Porto was a very big ship in Portugal, Chelsea was also a big ship in England and Inter was a great ship in Italy. Now I'm at Real Madrid, which is considered the biggest ship on the planet." - Jose getting ready to set sail off into the sunlight.
"I want to be where people love me, in England I am loved by the fans and the media who treat me in a fair way, I know in Spain it is different because some people hate me." - Mourinho hints at Madrid departure following Champions League elimination to Borussia Dortmund, April 2013.
"What I'm about to say is not a criticism, I'm just stating a fact: there were no ball-boys in the second half, which is something typical of small teams in difficulty. We intended to play like men and not fall on the ground at the slightest touch." - Mourinho calls Barcelona a small team after defeat in the Supercopa final at the beginning of 2011/12.
"Manchester United would be a great challenge for me. But Liverpool is not the club for me. I know why, but I cannot tell you. Tottenham, Everton... Arsenal maybe. These are all fine clubs with very good managers. You can dream of what happens in one, two, three or four years. Who knows? I cannot say, but I think you have an idea of what I think about. I had a dream about being the manager of Real Madrid. It has come true. For me that is incredible." - Mourinho rules out a move to Liverpool, but eyes up just about everyone else, 24 August 2010.
N BEING THE SPECIAL ONE
THE expression is mine, that’s obvious. When I arrived at Chelsea, I said I was special because I had won the Champions League with Porto.
To be a champion, it’s necessary to have a special talent.
Being special is working to the maximum of your ability and motivation, being good with yourself in all the challenges you’ve got. And, if possible, winning and being successful many times.
You’re not special if you don’t win — but I do win!
HIS LOVE FOR CHELSEA
IT was love at first sight. Chelsea is a club which is a big part of me. They’re in my heart.
I’ve always wanted Chelsea to win and be successful, except when my teams have played against them — then I wanted to kill them!
GOING BACK
WHEN I left Chelsea I started to miss English football.
I’m passionate about English football and knew I would return eventually.
Going back to England was obligatory but I knew it wouldn’t be good to go back so soon.
DIFFERENT COUNTRIES
I ALWAYS wanted to work in England, Italy and in Spain — they’re the three most important leagues.
I knew I wouldn’t go back to England until I’d tried the other leagues.
BEING THE BEST
MAYBE I’m not the best coach in the world — but I don’t think there’s a better coach than me.
I don’t want to be called a legend but I have a great history which is difficult to compare. I consider myself a great coach.
NOTHING TO PROVE
I DON’T have to prove anything, not even to myself. It’s a question of personal satisfaction, pride and desire to do things well.
I’m not after prestige, I want to do things well and make others happy.
No matter how badly things go, I don’t feel I’m being put to the test. My status and my past give me calmness.
WORK ETHIC
I GET up early and leave late, thinking about football every minute. No matter which club I’ve been at, my working days have always been the same.
THE WAY HE WORKS
A LOT of coaches come and ask me to give them the prescription for success. If they want a prescription, they should go to the doctor. Football is not like that.
BEING ARROGANT
IF someone says they are the best, I say they are confident and they have a great chance of working with me.
HIS CRITICS
THEY’RE always accusing me. They’ll continue to attack me and question everything I do.
I’m not embittered, I don’t feel persecuted and I don’t see enemies everywhere. I follow my path and do so more and more calmly.
STARTING A NEW JOB
I’M privileged. I can arrive at a club and impose my ideas without depending on this or that.
I like to start projects and think things through calmly. The most important thing is to know the team and to get the most out of the good things.
LEARNING FROM THE PAST
WITH the passion I have for my work, the pleasure it gives me, I feel that I’m a better coach than when I set out.
I feel that the experiences and difficulties I’ve had have made me stronger. I’ve still got room to learn and just need health to continue.
WIN AT ALL COSTS
AT the beginning I was different, because I had less to lose.
Sometimes, when a player is running along near the touchline, I feel like putting my foot out — but then the thought leaves me.
I still want to win but nowadays it’s with a different maturity.
ENGLISH FOOTBALL
I DON’T know if English football is the most spectacular.
But I’ve no doubt that it’s the one that has the best organisation, with more fair play and respect between everyone.
BEING A MULTI-MILLIONAIRE
WHAT money can give is tranquillity to make us more and more independent and better in our activity.
My father always told me: ‘The more money you earn, the better coach you will be.’
MOTIVATING HIS PLAYERS
ANYONE who has never won wants to win; anyone who has already won enjoys it and wants to repeat it.
My job is about managing people as much as tactics on the pitch. Without players who can and want to win, we’re not capable of winning.
My path has been made with great respect for players, be it those who fight with me or those who we worthily fight against as fellow professionals.
BEING FEARLESS
I STAND up to the bullets that come my way — and I always will.
I was born this way in football and will die this way.
HIS ANTICS
MY behaviour always has an aim — the defence of the interests of my club, without ever being concerned about my image.
Is that a defect or a virtue? Ask those who have worked with me.
JOB SECURITY
MY position has always been in danger wherever I’ve been because I always coach big clubs where a lot of people would like to coach; because I always leave teams assembled for future years; because I always leave excellent working conditions and structures for whoever takes over.
THE FUTURE
I’VE had great years but the next ones are always the most important.
I don’t celebrate winning titles a lot because I never want to think it’s the last one I win.
Anyone who wants to see me playing safe and failing will be disappointed.
I think it’s natural that I will win more trophies in my career.
Read more:
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/4961186/Jose-Mourinho-You-are-not-special-if-you-dont-win-but-I-win.html#ixzz2VitAYUrL