Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has claimed that he, along with the likes of Arsene Wenger and Rafael Benitez do not get the respect they deserve in England.
Addressing the fact that none of the leading clubs in England is managed by an Englishman, Mourinho, said his critics overlooked his record before he was appointed at Chelsea.
“I often read – and it makes me laugh a lot – managers saying, ‘why are they there and not me?'” Mourinho said Thursday.
“I think it’s a lack of respect. People have to respect what we did before. Why did Wenger arrive at Arsenal? Because he had great results before.
“Why did Mourinho arrive at Chelsea? Because he had great results. I learn to live with this situation. I think it’s more important what I think about myself, my self-image, my self-confidence… than what people think.”
In an interview with BBC Radio Five, Mourinho also his much-derided ‘special one’ remark had been planned in advance.
“If I had come to my first press conference in England and people had treated me like a European champion – which I had become two or three days before – I wouldn’t have needed to say such a strong couple of words,” he explained.
“I needed to show people I’m different, I’m not afraid, I’m confident, I can say things with a big percentage of risk.”
Mourinho says he is very happy at Chelsea.
“One and a half years on, I’m very happy – I couldn’t be happier with the move,” he says.
“I love the club, I love the players, everything around me. I like to live in this country with my family.
“At this moment I’m not thinking about the next move because I’m really happy within Chelsea Football Club.
“The English football fan is the best in the world,” he says.
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