Playing under Jose Mourinho has been a blessing for many footballers. The Portuguese manager is considered one of the finest of the 21st century despite his decline in recent times.
Possessing a strong understanding of the game, Jose Mourinho has been able to win a lot of accolades throughout his managerial spell.
Jose Mourinho was blessed with top-quality goalkeepers
In his stellar career, Jose Mourinho had the opportunity to have some world-class players play under him including a host of top goalkeepers.
While some of them had a great relationship with him, others struggled to get on the same page as him. Nevertheless, they were immensely impactful and served Jose's cause effectively. On that note, let's take a look at the top goalkeepers to have played under the Portuguese.
#5 Vitor Baia (FC Porto)
Vitor Baia is one of the most decorated goalkeepers of his time. The majority of his career was spent with Porto along with a small spell at Barcelona.
He was an important player for Mourinho during his time as Porto manager. The duo won the Portuguese league twice, Europa League and UEFA Champions League once together. He was also named the best European Goalkeeper in 2004.
On this day, 17 years ago, José Mourinho won the first Champions League trophy of his career as he led his Porto team to glory against Monaco.Deco, Vítor Baía, Ricardo Carvalho, Benni McCarthy, Maniche and Paulo Ferreira all played for that Porto side that night. 🇵🇹🏆 https://t.co/VQtq93EJ5O
Even though the two did not always get along together, they formed a successful professional partnership. Baia made 98 appearances under Jose and stayed at Porto even after Jose left for Chelsea in 2004.
#4 David De Gea (Manchester United)
David De Gea has been an amazing player for Manchester United ever since he arrived in 2011. The Spaniard has been an integral part of the first team, especially during the downhill United have undergone since the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson.
Even after he arrival of Jose Mourinho, De Gea continued his impressive form. It was under him that he made 14 saves in a game against Arsenal, the joint-most number of saves made by a goalkeeper in a Premier League game.
David De Gea golden glove came under Jose Mourinho😊. His only golden glove in the EPL https://t.co/WKt1tQ1qTz
Under the Portuguese, De Gea made 113 appearances and won the UEFA Europa League and EFL Cup. Mourinho saw the Spaniard play almost in his prime when he was at the helm at Manchester United.
#3 Julio Cesar (Inter Milan)
Jose Mourinho has been at his magical best at some of the top European clubs. One of his best spells came at Inter Milan whom he managed for two seasons from 2008 to 2010.
It was then that he came across Julio Cesar who was an important member of the club back then. With the arrival of Jose Mourinho, the Brazilian goalkeeper looked at his best between the sticks. He was named the Serie A Goalkeeper of the Year for the two seasons Jose managed.
He made 99 appearances under the Portuguese and won the historic treble in the 2009-10 season. To date, Julio Cesar holds the record for most clean-sheets in a single Serie A season for Inter Milan with 17 that came in the 2009-10 campaign.
#2 Iker Casillas (Real Madrid)
Iker Casillas will always remain a legendary figure at Real Madrid after spending 16 seasons with the club. The Spanish goalkeeper came through the ranks at Los Blancos and grew into one of the best goalkeepers of his generation.
That being said, things were different when Jose Mourinho took charge at Real Madrid in 2010. After a decent first season, things went sour between Casillas and Mourinho after the former was dropped in favor of Antonio Adan. Post that a series of disagreements took place between the two.
They had a falling out at Real Madrid, but Jose Mourinho reached out to Iker Casillas when it mattered most ❤ https://t.co/P66sYcEWNT
The Spanish goalkeeper played 136 games under Mourinho even after not having the best of relationships with him. Iker Casillas was named the best goalkeeper in La Liga in 2012 while playing for Jose.
#1 Petr Cech (Chelsea)
The Czech goalkeeper was signed by Jose Mourinho at Chelsea in the summer of 2004. Petr Cech had an instant impact for the Blues as they won the Premier League in his very first season.
In his first season in England, the Czech national won his first Premier League Golden Glove. Petr Cech's sharp reflexes, amazing shot-stopping abilities and commanding presence in the box helped Chelsea immensely. Jose Mourinho showed a lot of faith in the goalkeeper and was repaid pretty well with the success he earned.
Jose Mourinho on Petr Cech: “I’m honoured to have been the manager that gave him a PL #1 shirt. After that, it’s all about him. His numbers, performances, titles & professionalism. It's a big loss but history can't be deleted. Congratulations on an amazing career” #CFC https://t.co/nmvxFDNgyL
Cech made 195 appearances for Chelsea under Jose. In the process, they won the Premier League together thrice, FA Cup once, the League Cup twice and the FA Community Shield once. Without a doubt, the Czech goalkeeper was the most reliable man between the sticks for Jose.
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