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Although a divisive figure, there's no denying that Jose Mourinho is without a doubt one of the best coaches in the history of football. The self-proclaimed 'Special One' has won league titles in Portugal, England, Italy and Spain while also winning the Champions League twice with Porto and Inter Milan.
Mourinho became head coach for the first time in 2000, when Benfica handed him the opportunity to manage their first-team. Since then he has gone on to manage the likes of Porto, Chelsea (twice), Inter Milan, Real Madrid, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur and is currently the manager of Roma.
Plenty of superstar midfielders have played under Jose Mourinho
Jose Mourinho has managed several big European clubs during his career and as such he always had plenty of talented midfielders at his disposal. While few of these players were established superstars, some others became the very best in football under his guidance.
Here, we take a look at the five greatest midfielders to ever play under Jose Mourinho:
#5 Deco - FC Porto
Deco had a pretty successful career as a footballer playing for the likes of Porto, Barcelona and Chelsea while winning almost every major trophy available at club level. But the Portugal international rose to stardom at Porto under the management of Jose Mourinho.
An attacking midfielder with great creativity and technical skills, Deco played a big part in Porto's memorable 2003-04 Champions League win. The historic achievement put both him and Jose Mourinho on the footballing map.
The midfielder was involved in more goals than any other Porto player during that Champions League campaign (two goals, five assists) while creating the highest number of chances (38). His performances even earned him the UEFA Player of the Year and Portugal Player of the Year awards during that campaign.
Overall, the midfielder made 106 appearances under Mourinho, registering an impressive 23 goals and 66 assists. He won two Portuguese championships, two Portuguese Cups, one UEFA Cup and one Champions League title, making his time under Mourinho a truly special one.
#4 Mesut Ozil - Real Madrid
Mesut Ozil was arguably one of the best players at Real Madrid during Jose Mourinho's tenure. The attacking midfield maestro was a perfect fit for Jose Mourinho's system and it was the Portuguese himself who signed Ozil for Real Madrid from Werder Bremen in 2010.
Ozil played 157 matches under Jose Mourinho between 2010 and 2013 and the midfielder recorded 27 goals and 80 assists during that time. The German international was the man who made the play tick in the final third. His contributions were crucial in Real Madrid winning La Liga and the Copa del Rey under the Portuguese manager.
Jose Mourinho's departure at the end of the 2012-13 season also saw Ozil's stint at the Santiago Bernabeu come to an end, with the midfielder joining Arsenal in 2013.
#3 Claude Makelele - Chelsea
Unlike Ozil, Claude Makelele was already at Chelsea when Jose Mourinho arrived in 2004. The Frenchman joined the Blues from Real Madrid in the previous season for €20 million.
It was a surprising decision from Los Blancos to let Makelele leave, with the midfielder having been a key part of the club's success in early 2000s.
But the Spanish side's loss quickly proved to be Chelsea's gain. Makelele's talent as a deep-lying midfielder played a key role in the club's early triumphs in the Jose Mourinho era. The former Marseille man's defensive abilities provided the perfect platform for the likes of Frank Lampard, Michael Essien and Michael Ballack to thrive in front of him.
His performances were impressive to such an extent that many now refer to the defensive midfield position as the 'Makelele role'.
Overall, Makelele played 138 matches under Jose Mourinho, winning two Premier League titles, two League Cups and one FA Cup during that time.
#2 Xabi Alonso - Real Madrid
Xabi Alonso has arguably been one of the finest deep-lying playmakers the game has ever seen and Jose Mourinho was no stranger to that fact.
Alonso arrived at Real Madrid in 2009, a year prior to Jose Mourinho's appointment as manager of Los Blancos. The 2010 World Cup winner immediately established himself as a key part of Madrid's midfield, making 151 appearances during the Portuguese' three years in charge.
Alonso was the midfield metronome for the Los Blancos as they secured the La Liga title with a 100-point haul during the 2011-12 campaign. Jose Mourinho's side were uncharacteristically free-scoring, plundering a record-breaking 121 goals, with Alonso's playmaking abilities central to that.
After Mourinho's departure in 2013, Alonso stayed at the Santiago Bernabeu for another year, winning the Champions League with the club before departing for Bayern Munich. He hung up his boots with the Bundesliga giants in 2017 and is currently working as manager of his boyhood club Real Sociedad's B team.
#1 Frank Lampard - Chelsea
Frank Lampard is, without a doubt, the best midfielder to ever play under Jose Mourinho. The Englishman is also the most capped player under him with 215 appearances.
Easily the greatest goalscoring midfielder in Premier League history, Lampard was the driving force behind Jose Mourinho's success during his first tenure as Chelsea manager. The former West Ham man was absolutely brilliant during the club's first title triumph in 2005 and was even named FWA Footballer of the Year. He even finished as the runner-up in the 2005 Ballon d'Or rankings.
Lampard went on to score 63 goals and 55 assists during Jose Mourinho's first tenure at the Blues. By the time the Portuguese returned for his second-spell in 2013, Lampard was in the twilight of his career. After eight goals and five assists in the 2013-14 season, Mourinho decided to part ways with Lampard as he was sold to MLS side New York City.
Lampard had a stunning career with the Blues, becoming their leading goalscorer (211) and winning several trophies including three Premier League titles and a Champions League. He will always be remembered as one of the best attacking midfielders in the Premier League. Lampard is also one of just three players in the league's history to reach a century for both goals and assists.
