Jose Mourinho has revealed he never wanted Chelsea to sign Andriy Shevchenko, claiming Samuel Eto’o was the striker he wanted Roman Abramovich to bring to Stamford Bridge instead.
Shevchenko completed a £30million move from AC Milan in 2006 after Chelsea had won consecutive Premier League titles under Mourinho.
Almost two decades later, the former Blues manager has now given his version of one of the most debated transfers of the Abramovich era.
Speaking in the new Netflix documentary Mourinho, the Portuguese coach explained that Abramovich was determined to sign Shevchenko while he preferred Barcelona star Eto’o.
Mourinho reveals truth behind £30m Chelsea transfer
Mourinho admitted he “never wanted” Shevchenko and believes he should have communicated his position more forcefully at the time.
According to The Sun, Mourinho felt Abramovich’s personal connections played a part in the owner’s desire to bring the Ukraine international to Chelsea.
The decision became one of the most famous examples of tension between manager and owner during Chelsea’s first Abramovich era.
Shevchenko arrived as one of world football’s biggest names, but he struggled to reproduce his AC Milan form in England and scored only four Premier League goals during his first season.
Mourinho ultimately left Chelsea in September 2007.
His preferred target would eventually play under him elsewhere. Eto’o joined Mourinho at Inter Milan and helped the Italian side win the Champions League as part of a historic treble in 2010.
The pair were later reunited at Stamford Bridge when Eto’o joined Chelsea in 2013 during Mourinho’s second spell.
ReadChelsea previously looked at why Mourinho’s Chelsea connection remained relevant when he was linked with a third spell at Stamford Bridge.
Mourinho’s latest revelation now offers another insight into just how complicated his relationship with Abramovich became even while Chelsea were establishing themselves as the dominant force in English football.
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