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Jose Mourinho could easily be considered one of the most effective and winning ones among football managers in the present era. Some football managers can implement great tactical acumen, but trophies do not always reflect on success.
However, such has never been the case with Jose Mourinho as the astute manager has won something at every club he has managed, barring one.
Jose Mourinho's journey started as a translator for the legendary manager, Sir Bobby Robson. Under his tutelage, Mourinho quickly learned the ropes of management in football and found magnificent success at Porto, where he won the Champions League against all odds. Successful spells at Chelsea and Inter Milan have increased his reputation in football.
Jose Mourinho still won league titles and cup tournaments, even at Manchester United and Real Madrid, where his tenure could be called mixed ones.
5 great defenders who played major roles under Jose Mourinho
In stark contrast to expansionary football, Jose Mourinho built defensively robust and compact sides. His Chelsea side, who won the title in the mid-2000s, were well-known for their ability to defend and see out 1-0 wins.
A similar process was also employed at treble-winning Inter Milan and at Real Madrid, Jose Mourinho showed the first signs of countering Barcelona's tiki-taka football. Naturally, some great defenders have played under Mourinho throughout the manager's spell at different clubs.
#5 Ricardo Carvalho
Ricardo Carvalho's tenure under Jose Mourinho was a highly interesting one as it had both controversies and success. The Portuguese defender was one of the pivotal figures in defense when Porto won the Champions League against every expectation.
Carvalho was bought to Chelsea by Jose Mourinho, but the two fell out initially over selection issues. He was later a starter for Mourinho at Real Madrid before falling out of favor.
Ricardo Carvalho was the perfect Jose Mourinho-type defender - tough, hard-hitting and a no-nonsense tackler. He created the biggest impression during his Chelsea spell, where he stayed well beyond Jose Mourinho and was one of the team's most important members.
Carvalho won several league titles spread across Porto, Chelsea and Real Madrid. He also won the Champions League at Porto and the prestigious Euros for Portugal.
#4 Sergio Ramos
Unlike the former, Sergio Ramos played for a very brief spell under Jose Mourinho at Real Madrid. He won several trophies during Mourinho's spell. He was an important figure at the back, playing in different positions when needed.
However, Sergio Ramos' spell under Jose Mourinho will be remembered for a certain achievement, which seems a legendary one today.
In the latter part of 2000s and early part of 2010s, Barcelona was 'the' dominant force in Europe. Their tiki-taka brand of football was seen as the perfect footballing style, and it was very hard to combat. Yet Jose Mourinho was the first to crack the code, and Sergio Ramos spearheaded that charge.
Despite a 5-0 humbling in the first season, Real Madrid got the better of Barcelona in Jose Mourinho's second season.
Real Madrid won the league title in the 2011-12 season with a record of 100 points. Sergio Ramos made the most ball recoveries in the entire Real Madrid squad. This was a very important fact given how Mourinho's tactics revolved around winning the ball and hitting on the counter.
Overall, Ramos won a La Liga title and a Copa Del Rey under the Portuguese manager at Real Madrid.
#3 Lucio
Lucimar Ferreira Da Silva, or Lucio, spent a very small portion of his career under Jose Mourinho. Lucio was signed by the Portuguese in the 2009-10 season when the Brazilian centre-back arrived from Bayern Munich.
Lucio spent only one full season under Mourinho. Still, it was a historic season for Inter, and the Brazilian played one of the most significant roles in the squad.
Several star players left Inter before the 2009-10 season. Inter also suffered a poor start, but Lucio quickly formed a great pairing with Argentine centre-back Walter Samuel. The two epitomized two rocks in the defense as opponents found it difficult to crack open the Inter team.
As Jose Mourinho led the charge, Lucio was his commander-general, instructing the players on the pitch and keeping things at the back as tight as possible.
The results soon arrived. Inter won the Champions League after a long period of 45 years. They also won the Serie A title and the Coppa Italia as Jose Mourinho became the first manager in Italian football to win everything possible in a single season. Lucio ensured that Inter never lost from a defensive standpoint on that journey.
#2 Javier Zanetti
Javier Zanetti is one of the biggest legends of Inter Milan, if not the biggest. The legendary Argentine played for close to two decades for the Italian club and broke the appearance records of other legends like Giuseppe Bergomi and Giacinto Facchetti.
Albeit being a defender, Zanetti had to play in the midfield under Jose Mourinho to mitigate a shortage in the midfield.
Like Lucio, Zanetti played a significant role in Inter's treble. Zanetti's main function was to be available for midfield and defensive positions. Jose Mourinho made the most out of Zanetti's ability to recover balls and start counters in the middle of the pitch.
Zanetti's commanding role helped to organize the Inter midfield that was often down to bare-bones due to injuries of key players like Esteban Cambiasso and Sulley Muntari.
When Inter won the treble under Jose Mourinho, Javier Zanetti became the first club captain in Italian football to captain a treble-winning side. For Inter and under Jose Mourinho, Javier Zanetti was a remarkable defender and a midfield general.
#1 John Terry
Few English centre-backs were as good as John Terry, and Jose Mourinho played a significant role in developing the former Chelsea captain. Jose Mourinho himself made Terry the club captain upon his arrival from Porto.
Mourinho's trust in John Terry was well deserved as Chelsea won the Premier League with the best defensive record. Terry played an important role in offense and defense as he scored 8 goals. He was voted the Player of the Year in England and won the Champions League best defender that season.
Despite Jose Mourinho's departure, John Terry continued as the club captain and won several trophies for Chelsea. During Jose Mourinho's second spell at Chelsea, Terry was again a rock at the back, despite being a decade older.
Over the years, John Terry won many honors for himself and the club, the most important being the Premier League titles and the Champions League.
