Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho claimed he is more concerned on building a long lasting legacy at the club by giving this young Chelsea side an identity. The Portuguese boss has said when he arrived that he wants to do what Sir Alex Ferguson built at Manchester United for 26 years at Stamford Bridge even though not sure he would last that long. Mourinho said that the Real Madrid post was his last phase in making himself a complete manager in world football.
And after the beginning of this season, we are learning that the Special one is more intent in giving chances to his players and developing each player in his own image and make them champions, give them a winning and more importantly a stylish football playing identity over the coming year or so. And that’s the reason Jose is more concerned at the moment more so than just winning trophies.
In an interview given to Chelsea’s new magazine which is out was out yesterday on October 7th featuring new signings Eto’o and Willian on the cover. Transformation: How Jose’s first spell style of sheer dominance and physicality is being changed to attractive and stylish football! From Drogba and Makelele to Hazard and Willian! The full quotes of the interview is as follows.
About his first phase at the club in charge between 2004-7 and style of play;
“When I arrived before, the profile of the players was different – the profile of the club was different – and these are the most important things: the club and the players. It was a club without titles, with an incredible need to be pushed, and the best way to be pushed was to win titles and to make sure the club was being looked at as a champion. The club needed, at that time, to be champions and to be seen around the world to win a title. So, everything was guided completely in this direction and everybody knew that the most important thing from the point of view of the club over the next years was to win.”
Comparing the current image of players to previous and style of play;
“This time, the profile is different. Of course, the club wants to win, but we want to build a team with a certain identity. We have to build an identity to this team and adapt it to the quality of the players. The moment I finished at Chelsea, I projected my new challenges – to win in Italy, to win in Spain and to win every title in all three countries. After that, I have moved on to another phase, where I know where I like and where I want to be and where I want to dedicate myself fully to a club. So, in this moment of my career, my challenge is to give everything I have to one club and stay in that club for as long as that club wants because, from a personal point of view, there is no more motivation for adventures or for new experiences. My motivation now is to build stability for this club and it is something new also for me that I want very much to do.”
-Quotes and image courtesy of Daily Mail article at this link.
This quotes from Jose Mourinho reflect the plan and mission that is currently being overtaken at Stamford Bridge and tells fan that we need to be patient before expecting a European treble and complete dominance like Bayern had last season. That time will eventually and surely come but, the important aspect of it now is giving the team an identity. Not that we didn’t have an identity before hand but, just to change the aspect of sheer dominance and physicality to stylish and attractive football.
