Ranking the 5 greatest midfielders to play under Jose Mourinho
Although a divisive figure, there's no denying that Jose Mourinho is without a doubt one of the best coaches in the history of football. The self-proclaimed 'Special One' has won league titles in Portugal, England, Italy and Spain while also winning the Champions League twice with Porto and Inter Milan.
Mourinho became head coach for the first time in 2000, when Benfica handed him the opportunity to manage their first-team. Since then he has gone on to manage the likes of Porto, Chelsea (twice), Inter Milan, Real Madrid, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur and is currently the manager of Roma.
Plenty of superstar midfielders have played under Jose Mourinho
Jose Mourinho has managed several big European clubs during his career and as such he always had plenty of talented midfielders at his disposal. While few of these players were established superstars, some others became the very best in football under his guidance.
Here, we take a look at the five greatest midfielders to ever play under Jose Mourinho:
#5 Deco - FC Porto
Deco had a pretty successful career as a footballer playing for the likes of Porto, Barcelona and Chelsea while winning almost every major trophy available at club level. But the Portugal international rose to stardom at Porto under the management of Jose Mourinho.
An attacking midfielder with great creativity and technical skills, Deco played a big part in Porto's memorable 2003-04 Champions League win. The historic achievement put both him and Jose Mourinho on the footballing map.
The midfielder was involved in more goals than any other Porto player during that Champions League campaign (two goals, five assists) while creating the highest number of chances (38). His performances even earned him the UEFA Player of the Year and Portugal Player of the Year awards during that campaign.
Overall, the midfielder made 106 appearances under Mourinho, registering an impressive 23 goals and 66 assists. He won two Portuguese championships, two Portuguese Cups, one UEFA Cup and one Champions League title, making his time under Mourinho a truly special one.
#OnThisDay in 2004, Deco inspired José Mourinho's Porto to a 3-0 win against Monaco in the #UCLfinal. https://t.co/FiMugf9e5P
#4 Mesut Ozil - Real Madrid
Mesut Ozil was arguably one of the best players at Real Madrid during Jose Mourinho's tenure. The attacking midfield maestro was a perfect fit for Jose Mourinho's system and it was the Portuguese himself who signed Ozil for Real Madrid from Werder Bremen in 2010.
Ozil played 157 matches under Jose Mourinho between 2010 and 2013 and the midfielder recorded 27 goals and 80 assists during that time. The German international was the man who made the play tick in the final third. His contributions were crucial in Real Madrid winning La Liga and the Copa del Rey under the Portuguese manager.
Mesut Ozil stats under Jose Mourinho
👕157 games
🏟️129 starts
⚽27 goals
🅰️80 assist
⚪86% pass accuracy
This is his stats for Real Madrid as well. There will never be a better playmaker than Mesut Ozil under Jose Mourinho and his prime in Real Madrid. https://t.co/EmWfrU7InX
Jose Mourinho's departure at the end of the 2012-13 season also saw Ozil's stint at the Santiago Bernabeu come to an end, with the midfielder joining Arsenal in 2013.