5 players with the most goals scored under Jose Mourinho

Bhargav
Cristiano Ronaldo (right) has scored a lot of goals under Jose Mourinho.
Cristiano Ronaldo (right) has scored a lot of goals under Jose Mourinho.

Jose Mourinho is one of the best managers in the game's history. Since breaking out with Porto in the early 2000s, the Portuguese has created a niche for himself as one of the finest tactical minds in the game.

The current AS Roma boss is one of the few tacticians to have won league titles in four different countries (Portugal, England, Italy, Spain). He is also part of an exclusive group of managers to have won the UEFA Champions League with multiple teams.

Mourinho is not a purist's delight, as he often relies on 'parking the bus' tactics to frustrate the opposition, often at the cost of creative attacking free-flowing football. Nevertheless, his success is proof of the efficacy of the man's methods and playing philosophy.

While Jose Mourinho team is known for creatung robust defences, many prolific goalscorers have thrived under the 59-year-old. On that note, here's a look at the five players with the most goals under Mourinho:


#5 Gonzalo Higuain - 57 goals

Gonzalo Higuain found success under Mourinho.
Gonzalo Higuain found success under Mourinho.

Gonzalo Higuain is one of the most prolific goalscorers of the last decade. The Inter Miami striker has scored over 300 goals in his club career.

The 34-year-old has played under a lot of top managers, but his 57 goals under Jose Mourinho is the most he has scored under any tactician. Higuain produced those strikes in three seasons at Real Madrid in the early 2010s. He netted 22 times in Los Blancos' triumphant 2011-12 La Liga campaign.

The 2014 FIFA World Cup finalist is one of only two players to score 36 goals in a Serie A campaign.

After a successful career in European football, Higuain now plies his trade in the MLS.


#4 Frank Lampard - 70 goals

Frank Lampard (left) was a terrific performer under Mourinho.
Frank Lampard (left) was a terrific performer under Mourinho.

Frank Lampard is the only midfielder on this list. However, the Englishman deserves a mention as he enjoyed one of the most fruitful spells of his career under Jose Mourinho.

One of the most prolific goalscoring midfielders since the turn of the century, Lampard was a terrific performer in the Chelsea team of 2000s. The former player won three Premier League titles under Mourinho.

He scored an impressive 71 times in over 200 games under the Portuguese, which is the most he has scored under any manager. Lampard also provided 60 assists.

The all-time Chelsea top-scorer is currently the manager at Everton after previous stints with Derby County and the Blues.

#3 Didier Drogba - 73 goals

Didier Drogba (left) was one of the star performers under Mourinho (right).
Didier Drogba (left) was one of the star performers under Mourinho (right).

Didier Drogba is one of the most prolific goalscorers of the last two decades. The former Cote d'Ivoire international enjoyed a particularly fruitful partnership under Jose Mourinho at Chelsea.

The 43-year-old netted 73 times in 186 games across competitions under the legendary Portuguese manager. Drogba also tallied an impressive 40 assists during this period. He helped the Blues win three Premier League titles.

Drogba is one of Chelsea's best-ever players and one of Mourinho's best-ever signings. The striker said about the Portuguese:

"People say Mourinho liked me, I was his son. But in fact, if I was not performing, then I did not play. That is the good thing with him. Even if he likes you outside football, if you do not perform on the pitch, you do not play. That is really what is his signature. You have to perform, you have to be the best. It is only business."

#2 Karim Benzema - 78 goals

Karim Benzema (left) enjoyed some success under Mourinho (right).
Karim Benzema (left) enjoyed some success under Mourinho (right).

Karim Benzema is one of the best strikers in the game at the moment. He recently scored his 300th goal for Real Madrid.

After arriving from Lyon in the summer of 2009, Benzema took some time to get going before he blossomed under Jose Mourinho in the early 2010s. The 34-year-old scored an impressive 78 goals and bagged 49 assists in 150 games under the Portuguese manager.

Benzema, who scored 21 times in Real Madrid's victorious 2011-12 La Liga campaign under Mourinho, has credited the latter for turning him into a 'warrior'.

Almost a decade after Mourinho left the Santiago Bernabeu, Benzema is still going strong at the club. He has bagged 24 goals and nine assists across competitions this season and looks good for more.


#1 Cristiano Ronaldo - 168 goals

Cristiano Ronaldo (left) was at his prolific best under Jose Mourinho.
Cristiano Ronaldo (left) was at his prolific best under Jose Mourinho.

Cristiano Ronaldo is arguably one of the best players in the game's history, having scored goals galore for club and country. A goalscoring metronome, Ronaldo has netted over 800 goals during his nearly two-decade-long career.

He has scored over 100 goals under four different managers, with Jose Mourinho topping that list. In just three seasons under his compatriot at Real Madrid, Ronaldo bagged a staggering 168 strikes, including 17 hat-tricks, and 49 assists in 164 games across competitions.

That tally comprises a stunning 120 goals in La Liga, 28 in the UEFA Champions League and 20 in domestic cup competitions.

Though the two didn't always share the most cordial of relationships, there's no doubt Ronaldo flourished under Mourinho.

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