Andre Villas-Boas recalls his time under Jose Mourinho

BLAST FROM THE PAST: Villas-Boas was under Mourinho during his time at Chelsea and Inter Milan

Tottenham boss Andre Villas-Boas has spoken about his time as Jose Mourinho’s understudy during his fellow countryman’s stints as manager of Porto, Chelsea and Inter Milan. Villas-Boas worked for Mourinho for seven years. Sky Sports reports.

The current Chelsea manager chose not to promote Villas-Boas to a more challenging role at Italian club Inter Milan and that is when Boas decided to make his own name and enjoyed spells as manager of Porto, Chelsea and Tottenham, where his hard work has borne fruit.

Villas-Boas and Mourinho will face-off for the first time when Chelsea visit Tottenham on Saturday and Villas-Boas insisted that he served ties with Mourinho at the right time.

“I don’t lose any sleep,” said the Spurs boss. “Our break-up point was because I was full of ambition to give him something extra and I wanted further involvement from the job I was doing at that time.

“I felt I could give him much more. But he didn’t feel the need for somebody near to him or in another position as an assistant, and because of that it was decided that it was time, after Inter Milan, to continue our careers (apart).”

The Portugese coach thinks that he can no longer call himself a friend of Mourinho, adding: “We had a great personal and professional relationship before that we don’t have now.

“I don’t think we need explanations. But our relationship broke down. I think we have the mutual respect for each other and we understand what we have been through cannot just disappear, but it’s not like it was before.”

The 35-year-old stated that Chelsea consider Tottenham a worthy adversary after his opposite number blocked turned down the Spur’s bid for Spanish playmaker Juan Mata and hijacked Tottenham’s bid for Brazilian midfielder Willian.

“I suppose that is a sign of evolution from Tottenham and our ambitions,” he added. “It is normal. Last year we were fighting for the same objectives in the end so I suppose they wouldn’t like to strengthen a rival.”