Arjen Robben picks who's the better coach between Jose Mourinho and Pep Guariola
What's the story?
Arjen Robben, one of the best players to have played under two of the best managers of our times, Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho, has revealed his pick between the two distinguished coaches, in an interview with Dailymail.
Mourinho bought Robben in 2004 in his first stint at Chelsea, while he played under Guardiola with his current club Bayern Munich for three seasons. He developed into one of the most feared wingers of the world under the coaches over the last decade.
In case you didn't know...
Robben won the Dutch Player of the Year award in 2003, following which he earned a move to the Premier League with Chelsea, after a £5 million bid from Sir Alex Ferguson was rejected by PSV.
Robben has won a total of 28 honors during his career spanning over two decades, which include the league titles in four different countries, one Champions League trophy and multiple cups.
The heart of the matter...
Robben was talking to Rob Draper of Dailymail yesterday and recalled his best moments & regrets. He also opened up about the best manager that he had the good fortune of playing under.
He claimed to be a huge Guardiola fan, who helped him grow even more at the age of 29. He told Dailymail:
"I’m a big Pep fan."
"He’s just a very special guy in terms of tactics in the game and the way he improves the game. He loves football."
He also said that Manchester City manager Guardiola is the best manager in Europe at the moment, while also praising Mourinho for his attacking mentality during his first stint as the Chelsea manager in the 2004-05 season. He said:
"Pep Guardiola, who for me is maybe the best manager there is at the moment."
"We[Chelsea] had a great manager as well in Mourinho, who made sure that the team spirit was working well and of course for the club it was the first time that we won the league in 50 years."
He also seemed happy with the fact that his trademark - cutting inside from the right and unleashing a lethal left-footed strike, is still as effective as ever. He added:
"My wife sometimes tells me that I can be very proud of that, because people say it like it’s your own move: running inside and scoring a goal."
What's next?
Robben has announced that he'll leave his current club at the end of the season and it remains to be seen where he heads next.