Ranking the 5 greatest defenders to play under Jose Mourinho
Jose Mourinho could easily be considered one of the most effective and winning ones among football managers in the present era. Some football managers can implement great tactical acumen, but trophies do not always reflect on success.
However, such has never been the case with Jose Mourinho as the astute manager has won something at every club he has managed, barring one.
Jose Mourinho's journey started as a translator for the legendary manager, Sir Bobby Robson. Under his tutelage, Mourinho quickly learned the ropes of management in football and found magnificent success at Porto, where he won the Champions League against all odds. Successful spells at Chelsea and Inter Milan have increased his reputation in football.
Jose Mourinho still won league titles and cup tournaments, even at Manchester United and Real Madrid, where his tenure could be called mixed ones.
5 great defenders who played major roles under Jose Mourinho
In stark contrast to expansionary football, Jose Mourinho built defensively robust and compact sides. His Chelsea side, who won the title in the mid-2000s, were well-known for their ability to defend and see out 1-0 wins.
A similar process was also employed at treble-winning Inter Milan and at Real Madrid, Jose Mourinho showed the first signs of countering Barcelona's tiki-taka football. Naturally, some great defenders have played under Mourinho throughout the manager's spell at different clubs.
#5 Ricardo Carvalho
Ricardo Carvalho's tenure under Jose Mourinho was a highly interesting one as it had both controversies and success. The Portuguese defender was one of the pivotal figures in defense when Porto won the Champions League against every expectation.
Carvalho was bought to Chelsea by Jose Mourinho, but the two fell out initially over selection issues. He was later a starter for Mourinho at Real Madrid before falling out of favor.
ON THIS DAY: In 2004, Chelsea signed Ricardo Carvalho from FC Porto for a reported fee of £20m.
In his first two seasons with the club, he would go onto win the Premier League twice and the League Cup. https://t.co/yMryPFQeau
Ricardo Carvalho was the perfect Jose Mourinho-type defender - tough, hard-hitting and a no-nonsense tackler. He created the biggest impression during his Chelsea spell, where he stayed well beyond Jose Mourinho and was one of the team's most important members.
Carvalho won several league titles spread across Porto, Chelsea and Real Madrid. He also won the Champions League at Porto and the prestigious Euros for Portugal.
#4 Sergio Ramos
Unlike the former, Sergio Ramos played for a very brief spell under Jose Mourinho at Real Madrid. He won several trophies during Mourinho's spell. He was an important figure at the back, playing in different positions when needed.
However, Sergio Ramos' spell under Jose Mourinho will be remembered for a certain achievement, which seems a legendary one today.
In the latter part of 2000s and early part of 2010s, Barcelona was 'the' dominant force in Europe. Their tiki-taka brand of football was seen as the perfect footballing style, and it was very hard to combat. Yet Jose Mourinho was the first to crack the code, and Sergio Ramos spearheaded that charge.
Despite a 5-0 humbling in the first season, Real Madrid got the better of Barcelona in Jose Mourinho's second season.
Há 1 ano, o Real Madrid vencia o Barcelona no Camp Nou, pelo placar de 3x1, Sérgio Ramos marcou um dos gols!!
Esse que foi o último el clásico, dele com a camisa do Real Madrid... 😔😔 https://t.co/Kl07QRHccC
Real Madrid won the league title in the 2011-12 season with a record of 100 points. Sergio Ramos made the most ball recoveries in the entire Real Madrid squad. This was a very important fact given how Mourinho's tactics revolved around winning the ball and hitting on the counter.
Overall, Ramos won a La Liga title and a Copa Del Rey under the Portuguese manager at Real Madrid.