Jose Mourinho has named his best-ever starting XI. Reported by the Telegraph, the Portuguese tactician has selected some elite players from the long list of stars he has coached. The players are made up from his four major successful teams, FC Porto, Chelsea FC, Inter Milan, and Real Madrid.
GK: Petr Cech
Mourinho was the man who installed Cech as the starting goalkeeper at Chelsea. He seamlessly transitioned the starting gloves from Cudicini to Cech. And everything following has been nothing but success for the Czech international. He has been a stalwart for the Blues throughout his career and held his position for 10 years until this season. Cech will always be one of the best goalkeepers to walk onto the pitch at Stamford Bridge.
RB: Javier Zanetti
Zanetti is a legend amongst Italian football. The defender was nothing short of brilliant during his entire career and has won all there is to win in the sport. The Italian has a World Cup Winner’s Medal, and all trophies possible in Italy. There is definitely no doubting Mourinho’s choice for right back.
CB: Ricardo Carvalho
Carvalho was instrumental at all teams he played for under Mourinho. The Portuguese defender was vital to Porto’s Champions League run, several of Chelsea’s title runs, and even at Madrid. For a manager to work with a player at three different teams speaks volumes about Carvalho’s quality and character.
CB: John Terry
Terry had to be the first name that Mourinho put on his list. The two characters are inseparable. The Englishman has been imperative for the Blues during every stage of his career. He continues to defy his age, having earned a new contract for next season. Mourinho’s first move since returning to the Blues in 2013 was reinstating Terry as a starting CB, after the Englishman had fallen down the pecking order under Benitez. Mourinho reaps the benefits of this decision every weekend when Terry is on the pitch.
LB: Ashley Cole
This pick is a surprise to me. As a Chelsea fan, I am always indebted to Ashley Cole and his service for the team. In his prime, there were not many better left backs in the game. However, shortly after Mourinho’s homecoming, Cole was stripped of his place, with Azpilicueta taking his place. With the heaps of praise that Mourinho constantly gives him, it’s hard to see past the Spaniard as his leftback. However, “Dave” still has a lot to prove, and I would be interested to see if Mourinho’s greatest ever leftback changes after a few more years.
DM: Claude Makelele
This choice is a no-brainer for Mourinho. Makelele represents the embodiment of a Mourinho player. The Frenchman was imperative for Mourinho at Chelsea. There is no doubting Makelele’s quality and dedication to the team. He would be the first name on the teamsheet for almost any manager in the world.
CM: Frank Lampard
Regardless of people’s opinion on how Frank Lampard left Chelsea, there is no doubting the Englishman’s quality. In my opinion, he is a proper Chelsea legend, and should be regarded as such. He scored so many goals as a midfielder, and led Chelsea to most of it’s success in the last decade. The lad is a legend in a blue shirt.
CAM: Wesley Sneijder
Sneijder was the surprise inclusion for me in this position. The Dutchman made an immediate impact at Inter, and helped lead the italians to the Champions League and the league title. Sneijder also had a brilliant World Cup with Netherlands in 2010 as well. However, for me there were better players in his position to play under Mourinho. Chelsea’s Deco being one of them. Either way, you can’t fault Mourinho for choosing a man who was the Man of the Match in Mourinho’s second Champions League victory.
RW: Mesut Ozil
Ozil is an interesting selection, given his recent form at Arsenal. However, the German’s decline could be best explained by the coaching at Arsenal. Mourinho had Ozil firing on all cylinders in Madrid at such a young age. The German also performs honorably on the national stage as well. Maybe Wenger just doesn’t know how to get the best out of Ozil. Either way, the lad is class, and Mourinho knows it.
LW: Cristiano Ronaldo
The inclusion of Ronaldo almost seems necessary. Although the player is a selfish athlete, there is no doubting his star quality. The Portuguese winger has been brilliant throughout his career and flourished at Madrid under Mourinho. He has won the Ballon D’Or several times and is widely regarded as one of the top 2 players in the world. Maybe if he learned to celebrate when his teammates score, he would become that much more likeable as a star.
ST: Didier Drogba
If Terry was Mourinho’s first choice, Drogba had to be his second. And given Mourinho has worked with the likes of Eto’o, Zlatan, and Milito, the immediate selection of the 37-year old striker speaks volumes about the quality of the Ivorian. During his prime, Drogba lifted Chelsea to glory. Mourinho convinced the Chelsea board to buy Drogba as one of his first signings at the Blues, and was widely questioned for choosing him. Drogba proved his manager correct and went on to have a legendary career.
Overall, Mourinho has selected a squad to be reckoned with. I am interested to see how his team will change as he continues to coach. I think we will see likes of Eden Hazard, Cesar Azpilicueta, Thibaut Courtois, and Nemanja Matic challenge for spots in his best-ever XI. Mourinho has already had a historical career, and the sky’s the limit as far as what is left for him to achieve.
