JOSE MOURINHO believes that managing Chelsea is not a difficult job — despite being sacked by them twice.
The Special One welcomes his former club and their new boss Thomas Tuchel to Tottenham for a London derby on Thursday.
Jose Mourinho has claimed managing Chelsea is not hardCredit: EPA
Thomas Tuchel is expected to emulate his PSG success at Stamford BridgeCredit: PA:Press Association
It will be Tuchel’s first away match since he replaced the axed Frank Lampard last month.
Mourinho won two successive Premier League titles in his first spell at Chelsea after coming to England in 2004.
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He then won another in 2014-15 on his return to Stamford Bridge for a second stint.
Now at Spurs, he knows exactly what lies in store for new-boy Tuchel.
He said: “I don’t think it’s very difficult to coach at Chelsea because I was champion there three times, Carlo Ancelotti was champion, Antonio Conte was champion.
“Who else? It cannot be very, very difficult because we win titles there.
“I believe Chelsea always has great players and great squads and good coaches are happy to work with these clubs and with players that give you a very good opportunity to be successful and to win titles.
“Of course a coach needs time and needs stability and it is a very good thing to feel stability.
“I’m not saying stability helps you sleep, I’m saying that stability gives you a different way of thinking and you are not just thinking about today, you are also thinking about tomorrow, you are also thinking about the future.
“That’s the way it is. It is Mr Abramovich’s club and you have to understand that it’s up to him to make his decisions. In my case, I was there in two different periods and I was champion in two different periods.
“I’m very happy to have been there before and to have that opportunity.”
I don’t think it’s very difficult to coach at Chelsea because I was champion there three times, Carlo Ancelotti was champion, Antonio Conte was champion
Jose Mourinho
Mourinho conceded the Premier League landscape is different to when he first rocked up at the Bridge 16½ years ago.
But he hinted Tuchel may find the competitiveness of the English top tier tough — having been managing all- conquering Paris Saint-Germain in France since 2018.
Mourinho, 58, said: “When I arrived the first time, the big challenge was Chelsea plus two other big teams — Arsenal, the champions without defeat, and Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United.
“Chelsea were trying to transform a club with incredible potential economically into a Premier League winner.
“But after that there was a significant space between the potential of these three clubs and the others.
“But it wasn’t a big difference for me because in Portugal it was quite similar in that aspect.
“The quality was not comparable but I was coming from Portugal in a situation where three big clubs are fighting and then a big gap to the rest. The Premier League was that.
Mourinho won three Premier League titles in two spells with the BluesCredit: Reuters
“At the time it was a very British Premier League in terms of the style of players and teams but you could focus the fight on three clubs and then there was a gap to the others.
“At this moment that gap of three is still there but now there’s Manchester City and Liverpool but after that there’s no gaps.
“The differences are much, much smaller.
“Teams that are fighting for relegation are teams with quality, teams that can beat you.
“But I think overall the competitiveness of the Premier League is not stopping. It’s incredible.”
Tottenham will again be without the injured Harry Kane, Giovani Lo Celso and Dele Alli — but Serge Aurier returns after being axed for Sunday’s shock 1-0 loss at Brighton.
On-loan Real Madrid ace Gareth Bale made only his second Prem start at the Amex but Mourinho admitted he cannot afford to give the Wales superstar a run of games to allow him to play his way back to his best.
He said: “I cannot do it. In high-level football it is very difficult to do it, especially in a competition like the Premier League, where the level is so high that it’s very, very difficult to do it.
“But I just want to say that in my opinion it was the team that didn’t have a good performance at Brighton, not Gareth individually.”
Tottenham boss Mourinho says he feels sorry for his former player Frank Lampard after Chelsea sacking
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
