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Jose Mourinho's style of play is not always admired by many, yet he has been very successful with his approach. His detailed analysis of the opposition has been key in digging out results for his team.
With plenty of experience under his belt, the Portuguese has been blessed to have managed some of the top European clubs. Amazingly, he has been successful with most of them.
Jose Mourinho loves playing defensive football
It is no secret that Jose Mourinho is a big admirer of defending deep, and with numbers. He loves to tire out the opposition, and attack brutally on the counter.
Thanks to his preferred game style, he has been blessed to have had some amazing defenders who successfully execute his tactics. On that note, here's a look at five great defenders to have played under Mourinho:
#5 Javier Zanetti (Inter Milan)
There is no doubt about how massive a legend Javier Zanetti is for Inter Milan. The Argentine spent 19 seasons of his club career with Inter, winning many trophies in the process.
Jose Mourinho managed the Serie A club for two seasons, and had the pleasure of working with Zanetti. Thanks to the Argentine's versatility of playing as full-back and defensive midfielder, Mourinho immensely benefitted. The duo helped Inter Milan to a historic continental treble in the 2009-10 season.
Zanetti played 106 matches under Mourinho at Inter, winning the Serie A twice. The Argentine's leadership combined with Mourinho's winning mentality was key to Inter Milan's success.
#4 Marcelo (Real Madrid)
Marcelo is arguably one of the best left-backs of his generation. Although the Brazilian looks out of form right now, and is possibly nearing the end of his career, his contributions to Real Madrid remain invaluable.
With his dynamic and attacking play down the left flank, Marcelo has been unstoppable at times. During Mourinho's reign at Madrid, the left-back was key in helping out in counterattacks.
The Brazilian defender played 113 games and registered 21 assists under Mourinho. Marcelo regards Mourinho very highly, and spoke in favour of the Portuguese when he was sacked by Manchester United in 2018.
#3 Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid)
Jose Mourinho is a champion manager, and had a champion player in Sergio Ramos during his time at Real Madrid. Having played 16 seasons at Los Blancos, the Spaniard has a legendary status at the club.
With his aggression, superb tackling and aerial abilities, Ramos has been a monstrous defender over the years. Under Mourinho, the Spanish defender performed exceptionally well. He was named the La Liga's best defender for two seasons while playing under the Portuguese.
Ramos made 137 appearances under Mourinho, and was the leader at the back even after Mourinho's departure. It would have been interesting had the Portuguese stayed longer at Madrid.
#2 Ricardo Carvalho (FC Porto/Chelsea/Real Madrid)
The only player on this list to have played for Jose Mourinho at three different clubs is Ricardo Carvalho. The duo worked together at FC Porto, Chelsea and Real Madrid.
Carvalho was a very smart defender, thanks to his intelligent positioning, effective tackling and dominating presence in the air. No player has played for Mourinho more than the Portuguese defender has. He played 292 games under his compatriot at three different clubs in three different leagues.
Carvalho won the Portuguese league thrice, Premier League thrice and La Liga once. He was, without a doubt, Mourinho's most trusted defender. The former Chelsea centre-back was named by Mourinho in his ultimate XI recently.
#1 John Terry (Chelsea)
Coming through the ranks at Chelsea, John Terry started playing for the senior team from the 2000-01 season. Following the arrival of Jose Mourinho, the Englishman was handed the captaincy after the retirement of Marcel Desailly. He went on to enjoy a wonderful relationship with Mourinho.
The two got along amazingly well, and were hell-bent on achieving success for Chelsea. Under the Portuguese, Terry played 266 games, and was key in leading the Blues win a lot of silverware. Mourinho and Terry won the Premier League thrice and the FA Cup once with the Blues.
John Terry was named the Chelsea Player of the Year in the 2005-06 season under Mourinho's management. He was also named in the PFA Team of the Year for three consecutive seasons while working with the Portuguese manager. Terry's passion and admiration for Mourinho knows no bounds even today.
