Jose Mourinho credits Barcelona legend for helping him grow as a manager | OneFootball

Lamine Yamal’s rapid rise to the top of football only reminds fans across the globe of one player – a certain Lionel Messi who carried an aura around him as one of the best players in the world in just his early years as a professional footballer.

Comparing the two players, especially so early in Yamal’s career, is simply unwarranted for Messi was in a league of his own for decades and ruled the sport. Such was his greatness that he was respected by even rival managers.

One of the coaches who was tasked with building a Real Madrid team to counter Messi’s Barcelona was Jose Mourinho, and it is safe to say that the Argentine had the better of the ‘Special One’ more often than not.

Mourinho speaks

Speaking to the media in a recent interview, Mourinho was asked to name a player who made him learn the most and grow as a manager over the years. Without flinching an eye, the coach named the Barcelona legend saying:

“Messi is the player who has made me grow the most.”

Messi and Mourinho at the Ballon d’Or ceremony. (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images)

He was then asked to elaborate on why he chose the World Cup winner over all the players he has faced in his career as a manager, to which he said,

“Because every time we played against him, he forced me to think a lot.”

Needless to say, he refers to the trouble the Argentine ace gave him over the years, wriggling through his defensive traps with his magical footwork and defying the laws of football time and time again.

Finally, Mourinho was asked to name a player in whom he saw great potential but did not have the honour of coaching, and his answer, unsurprisingly, did not change.

“Messi,” he said.

Source: MARCA