RANGERS boss Philippe Clement says he respects Jose Mourinho’s achievements – but ISN’T a massive fan of his favoured style of play.
It was a surprise comment from the under-fire Ibrox boss ahead of the Europa League last 16 ties which will pit the Gers against the Portuguese football legend for the first time in competitive battle.
Jose Mourinho is at Fenerbahce these days[/caption]
Inter Milan’s coach Jose Mourinho celebrates after his second Champions League win[/caption]
Mourinho is universally recognised as one of the finest managers in the history of the sport with TWO Champions League wins with different teams under his belt on top of countless achievements with other clubs.
These of course include a Uefa Cup win against Celtic in Seville in 2003 which made him a hero for many Gers fans.
But it’s true that his teams don’t always play fluent attacking football – and are often masters of the dark arts.
Presumably that is what Clement was referring to when he said: “There are different managers with different styles.
“He won a lot of trophies in a certain style.
“I like even more managers with another style, but the respect is there.
“It’s about winning in the end.
“And winning the biggest trophies you can win in the world. It’s normal to respect someone who does it.
“He is somebody who is more in the defensive style. I prefer more the managers who go full in their attacking force.”
Mourinho, who memorably did his coaching badges with the SFA at Largs, has only ever taken a team to Ibrox once.
It was a 2007 pre-season friendly which saw them lose 2-0 to Walter Smith‘s side courtesy of goals from Nacho Novo and Filip Sebo.
And speaking the former Chelsea, Real Madrid, Manchester United and Tottenham boss revealed that Rangers fans STILL thanked him for ensuring that Celtic didn’t win the UEFA Cup back in 2003.
His Porto side of course defeated Martin O’Neill‘s team in Seville.
FCPorto coach Jose Mourinho is all smiles[/caption]
Mourinho with Nuno Valente after he took Porto to the Champions League[/caption]
Mourinho said: “I could feel it immediately because the week before the game Celtic fans were already in Porto trying to buy tickets from Porto fans.
“Now, what I find in the streets of London and other places I still have Rangers fans thanking me for that final.”
Speaking ahead of the draw, Mourinho said he wasn’t bothered whether he got Rangers or Olympiacos but admitted that Ibrox was a great stadium.
He said: “If we have to go to Scotland we will go. Rangers have a great stadium. It doesn’t matter to us. It doesn’t matter who our opponent is in the first match we will play in Istanbul.
“Fred will be an important absence for us there. We will forget about the Europa League now.”
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