Former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has praised Zinedine Zidane for saving Real Madrid’s season. The Portuguese manager noted that winning a UEFA Champions League trophy against Atletico Madrid in the final will erase the memories of former Galacticos manager Rafa Benitez, and will gloss over the faults at the start of the season.
Mourinho, who managed Real Madrid for 3 seasons, made the comments at a FIFA conference currently being held in Mexico City, where he is managing a team of ‘legends’ in a one-off friendly. The tactical maestro was quizzed about his former club’s season, and only had words of praise for Zidane, saying “Zidane arrived late, during the middle of the season but has been instrumental in transforming the dynamic at the club.”
“Zizou has got his team to the Champions League final and for a team with an indifferent start that presents a massive opportunity to gloss over the season as a whole.”
Mourinho was unable to win the UEFA Champions league in the 3-year spell from 2010 to 2013 in charge of Real Madrid, with Zidane having a chance to eclipse the Portuguese coach just 5 months into his managerial career.
Mourinho takes a dig at Benitez and Florentino Perez
Jose Mourinho’s time at Real Madrid came to an unceremonious end after the 2012/13 season, with the Portuguese manager describing it as the ‘worst season’ of his career. However, a dismal run of results with Chelsea at the start of this season ought to surely rank as one of Mourinho’s top failures, which resulted in his sacking.
Currently out of a job, Mourinho has hinted that he will return to management in July, where he will resume old grudges, such as that with Rafa Benitez when the Spaniard was in charge of Liverpool. Mourinho aimed a veiled dig at Benitez and Florentino Perez while praising Zidane, saying “If Zidane wins the Champions League then everyone will forget about the problems that the club experienced pre-Christmas before the change of coach and the enduring memory will be that of an 11th European Cup win.”
When asked about his favourites for the UEFA Champions League final, Mourinho was non-committal, instead opting to praise the quality of both sides, saying “It will be a final between two sides who know each other very well, Madrid and Atlético, Atlético and Madrid and I think we’re in for an excellent game.”
