John Terry has claimed his former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho could predict the future, before the old brothers-in-arms face each other on the sideline for the first time this weekend.
The Blues captain and coach won eight trophies during two spells together at Stamford Bridge.
Terry is now assistant manager at Aston Villa, who welcome Mourinho’s Tottenham on Sunday.
And the ex-England captain, who won three Premier League titles under Mourinho, said: “When he told us something, that we were going to win 4-0, 5-0, it always happened. Always, it was like he could predict the future.
“When he said we need more champions in the dressing room to become better, I just believed everything he said. Everything he said seemed to happen for us.
“In my career, he has been the best manager by a long way.
“If he had have said, we could have gone to the moon, I think he would have every player – and I am being serious – going or at least trying.”
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Terry was speaking in the documentary “Mourinho” to be shown on French TV station RMC Sport on Thursday night.
It charts the career of the Portuguese coach from his hometown of Setubal to Chelsea, Inter Milan, Real Madrid, Manchester United and now Tottenham.
Anthony Martial was critical of his man-management after Mourinho publicly criticised him at Old Trafford.
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“I would prefer being told personally,” said the Frenchman. “No need to say it in front of everybody.
“It’s true that after that you want to show him he is wrong. He didn’t play me during the first matches of the season and then every time I played, I scored so after he said: ‘You see now, you understand what I wanted?’
“It’s upsetting – you just want to show him that you have to be on the pitch. Footballers have changed over the years. You have to adapt.”
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At Tottenham, Serge Aurier claimed: “If you are intelligent, you take it well. You know it is a jab but it is something positive. And he has become calmer than before. Because I remember when he was not my coach, it was crazy around him.
“Here I see a different man. He did not work for a little while.
“I think it has allowed him to reflect, to take a step back. He has the same mentality but I think he is calmer. Yes so I think you can change.”
(Image: Richard Heathcote)
Mourinho’s former assistant Baltemar Brito said the relationship with Roman Abramovich “started to turn bitter” after the 2006 signing of Andriy Shevchenko.
And the film claimed that following Mourinho’s first sacking from Chelsea in 2007 he was close to joining Barcelona in 2008 but his appointment was vetoed by Johan Cruyff who had wanted Pep Guardiola.
Former Chelsea star Emmanuel Petit said: “I think the big European clubs, he has made a tour of all them all. He has burned his bridges in quite a few clubs.
“I have the feeling that Tottenham is one of the last big clubs that he can coach.
“There are some big clubs who sacked their coaches and he was on the market and he was available but he nevertheless did not get any offers.”
But Delle Ali said: “He comes here with a lot of experience. He has achieved a lot so we are looking to learn a lot from him.
“He seems very honest which is a good thing. As a player, you just want honesty. We are looking forward to the challenge.”
