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The rivalry between Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola has to be one of the best managerial rivalries in the history of football. Two world-class managers with drastically different approaches to their game-style.
Pep Guardiola has always loved having possession of the ball and attacking in a ruthless manner. Jose Mourinho, meanwhile, has preferred his team to have a defensive mindset and rely more on the counter-attack.
Some world-class players have played under both Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola
While both Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola have given us some classic affairs on the pitch, it wouldn't have been possible without the presence of some top players. Both these managers were blessed to have a star-studded lineup at their disposal at the different clubs they have managed.
Among those superstar players, some of them were lucky enough to play under both Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola. On that note, let's have a look at those top players fortunate to play under both these amazing managers.
Honorable mention: Cesc Fabregas
#5 Kevin De Bruyne
Kevin De Bruyne is one of the finest playmakers in the world right now. With his superb passing and creative skills, the Belgian possesses the power to change the game with the ball at his feet.
Having started his career with Genk, the central attacking midfielder was signed by Chelsea in 2012. During his Chelsea career, De Bruyne spent most of his time on loan in Germany with Werder Bremen. The then Blues manager Jose Mourinho recognized his talents but wasn't able to accommodate the Belgian midfielder in his starting lineup. For a very short while, the midfielder played under the Portuguese manager before leaving permanently for VfL Wolfsburg.
De Bruyne grew into a very dynamic and dangerous midfielder at Wolfsburg, which encouraged Manchester City to sign him in the summer of 2015. Since then. the former Chelsea man has been one of the star players in the Premier League. Especially under Pep Guardiola's management, he has blossomed to the best of his abilities. He has been a massive contributor in goals for the Cityzens and continues to do so under the guidance of the Spanish manager.
#4 Arjen Robben
The Dutch winger arrived at Chelsea in the summer of 2004 to become a key member of the squad new manager Jose Mourinho was building back then. Arjen Robben was young and growing then and was yet to be polished.
Under the former Porto manager, he showed promise of developing into one fine attacker with his sweet left-foot, amazing dribbling and beautiful creative abilities. He left Chelsea after spending three seasons with the Blues before joining Real Madrid after being trouble by injuries. Jose Mourinho left the London club in the same season. The duo won back-to-back Premier League titles together.
Robben met Pep Guardiola at Bayern Munich when the former Barcelona manager joined them in 2013. The Spaniard, being the great tactical manager he is, impressed and helped the winger improve his game even as he was nearing his 30s. Along with the dynamic Dutch international, Guardiola won three back-to-back Bundesliga titles.
It was more than just trophies for Robben. Guardiola's insights and his tactical know-how about the game amused him to the core. In an interview in 2019, the former Bayern forward confirmed that he is a big fan of the current Manchester City manager and considers him the best.
#3 Xabi Alonso
Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho have seen some world-class midfielders play for them and Xabi Alonso is surely one of them. He joined Real Madrid from Liverpool in the summer of 2009 after having a more than impressive spell with the Merseyside club.
Jose Mourinho joined Madrid in 2010 and it was the start of a wonderful partnership. With the kind of game-style the former Chelsea manager preferred, Alonso was the ideal midfielder for him. With his ability to break opponents down at the heart of midfield and supply some stunning incisive passes, Jose couldn't have asked for more from Alonso. The duo won La Liga and Copa del Rey titles together.
In 2014, Alonso joined Bayern Munich joining manager Pep Guardiola. They won the Bundesliga twice and the DFB Pokal once together. The Spanish midfielder described the difference between playing for Pep and Mourinho.
Under the Portuguese, he would have had to cover a lot of ground given his game-style. Under Pep Guardiola, the positioning was rather more important as the former Barcelona manager preferred defending in a bigger space. Although the game-styles were very different under both these managers, Alonso came out with flying colors for both of them.
#2 Zlatan Ibrahimovic
There are very few players in the history of the game who have played for more top clubs than Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The Swedish striker has been a phenomenal player throughout his career, playing for some of the top European clubs in the process.
While playing for Inter Milan in the 2008-09 season, Zlatan first played under the management of Jose Mourinho. Inter won Serie A that season with the Swedish player winning the Player of the Season award. He then joined Barcelona the following season where he met Pep Guardiola.
Ibrahimovic did not get along well with the Spanish manager from almost the onset. He was of the opinion that Pep Guardiola was sacrificing other players to accommodate Lionel Messi. The relationship between the two only worsened by the end of the season, which resulted in the former Ajax striker joining AC Milan on loan the following season.
After a successful spell with Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), Zlatan signed for Manchester United as a free agent in the summer of 2016. It was his reunion with his former manager Jose Mourinho. The duo won the EFL Cup and UEFA Europa League together in the 2016-17 season. The former Milan striker has always loved Mourinho's leadership and, by his own admission, would even be willing to die for him.
#1 Samuel Eto'o
Samuel Eto'o was once a product of the Real Madrid youth academy. However, he was allowed to leave and in 2004, he joined Barcelona from Mallorca courtesy of his impressive performances in front of goal.
In the 2008-09 season, Pep Guardiola was appointed as Barcelona's manager. Eto'o has had a trophy-laden career with the Catalans but he has always been critical of the Spanish manager. The Cameroon striker felt that despite being with the Spanish giants for such a long time, Pep failed to understand the squad during his time. The relationship between the two was never on good terms and after one season, Eto'o left for Inter Milan.
At Inter, Eto'o met Jose Mourinho and things turned out drastically different for him there. He felt more loved and valued under the Portuguese and together they won the historic treble in the 2009-10 season. He was reunited with Jose at Chelsea in the 2013-14 season but that stint didn't turn out to be as productive as the one at Inter. To date, the former Barcelona forward remains a massive admirer of Jose Mourinho.
