Janice R. Andrews
In 2016, Jose Mourinho, who is thought to be one of the smartest football minds, was asked to name the three best football players of all time. Since Mourinho had managed Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid, some people might have thought he would include him. But the Portuguese coach had other names in mind, and one of them wasn’t Ronaldo.
Even though Mourinho worked with many famous football players, such as Ronaldo Nazario, Zlatan Ibrahimović, Didier Drogba, Luka Modric, and Cristiano Ronaldo, his top three list had a different kind of greatness. Let’s look at the people who made the cut.
Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi and Mourinho played against each other a lot when Messi was leading Barcelona’s attack and Mourinho was coaching Real Madrid. Their competition was one of the best things about both the UEFA Champions League and the Spanish La Liga.
Messi has always been praised by Mourinho, who has even called him “a god of football.” Mourinho was always amazed by Messi’s ability to beat his opponents, no matter what strategy he was using. Mourinho has said that Messi was a great player who didn’t need a coach to reach his full potential, even though he has never been their manager.
“Messi has never needed a coach,” Mourinho said about Messi’s natural ability in an interview. Who is it that says “I coached Messi”? It’s crazy. Messi has all the answers because he was born with them.
The “Special One” knew that Messi didn’t need any more regular training. In a different interview, Mourinho said that Messi would have been the best player to sign during his time, but he used vague language to describe him as “the little guy” who wasn’t “coachable.” No matter what, Mourinho thinks Messi is the best player of his generation and maybe even all time.
Diego Maradona
Diego Maradona, who died in 2011, was easily put on Mourinho’s list. He was often called one of the most important football players in history. He did amazing things at the 1986 FIFA World Cup and at Napoli, where he led the team to its first Serie A title. These actions made Maradona a star among both football fans and experts.
Not only did Mourinho admire Maradona’s skills on the field, but also the guy he was outside of football. Mourinho talked about his personal experiences with Maradona in an interview with BT Sport. He said, “There is Maradona and there is Diego.” I don’t have to talk about Maradona because everyone knows about him and won’t forget. Diego is unique. The people who are close to him and share locker rooms and work with him are lucky.
Mourinho talked about how Maradona, who was his friend, would call him after a loss to tell him of how talented and great he was. Mourinho saw Maradona not only as a great player, but also as a true friend and guide, and this human touch made that even stronger.
Pele
The story didn’t say it directly, but it’s possible that Mourinho’s third choice would be Pele, the famous Brazilian football player. More than 1,000 goals and three FIFA World Cup wins make Pele, who is known as “The King of Football,” one of the best football players of all time. Pele had an obvious impact on the sport, and Mourinho has in the past recognized his record-setting achievements.
There’s no Cristiano Ronaldo?
The fact that Mourinho didn’t pick Cristiano Ronaldo, a player he coached at Real Madrid, may be the most surprise thing about his choice. Ronaldo didn’t make Mourinho’s exclusive list, even though the Portuguese star has broken many records and they have a past together. There was no official reason given for this absence, but it’s possible that Mourinho’s personal relationships with and respect for Messi and Maradona were stronger than his business ties with Ronaldo.
The list that Mourinho made of the three best football players ever shows how he personally sees the game. Many people think Messi and Maradona are two of the best players ever, but Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure is still talked about, especially since Mourinho has a past with him. Still, Mourinho’s deep love for Messi, Maradona, and probably Pele shows that he sees football genius in its simplest form.
