JOSE MOURINHO admits he once said he could never manage Tottenham – but all that changed when Chelsea sacked him.
Four years ago, when he was in charge at Stamford Bridge, Mourinho said there was no way he would take control of Spurs because the Blues fans meant too much to him.
Jose Mourinho joked that being sacked by Chelsea ended his vow that he could never manager Tottenham
But after succeeding Mauricio Pochettino in charge in North London, the 56-year-old says the way the game has changed for managers it is now impossible to rule out any club.
Asked about his quote in 2015, Mourinho said: “Yes, that was before I was sacked.
“This is modern football. In relation to players, the Bosman law changed everything. In relation to us coaches, because of you [the media] we lost that stability.
“The relationships are fast. Players can get tired of each other, they can get tired of the manager. Everything is faster.
“When I went to Manchester United with a free mind, with a free heart. Manchester United occupied my heart even with things I did not enjoy too much.
“But I loved so many things there, the fans, the people that worked at the club.
“But now it is about Spurs and I just hope I can be really, really happy here and make people happy and try and make sure there is not a bigger fan than myself.
“If there is one person in the world who wants Spurs to win and be successful – there is not one person that wants it more than me, maybe the same but not more.
“Chelsea is the past. A great past, two periods of titles, a great past, but it is the past.”
Mourinho was also asked whether he felt the Champions League final defeat to Liverpool last season had played a part in the poor form of Spurs during the current campaign.
He added: “I don’t know because I never lost a Champions League final but I can imagine it is not easy.
“You reach one of the biggest moments that you can achieve in football, you are one step away from it but could not do it. I cannot imagine that is easy.
“But you have the example of Liverpool. They lost the Premier League by one point and they lost the Champions League by one goal, the next season they are very strong in the Premier League and they won the Champions League.
“I don’t think there is a rule. It depends people react to it and of course I don’t want to go as deep as that, that is their history in the club.”
New Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho says he will not make the same mistakes he made in the past
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
