Jose Mourinho has taunted Serie A managers by highlighting that he is the last coach to win the Champions League with an Italian side and praised new Inter boss, Cristian Chivu.
What Did Jose Mourinho Say About Cristian Chivu?
Inter Milan made a huge statement following a disappointing 2024/25 campaign, making Simone Inzaghi surplus to requirements and appointing Cristian Chivu.
The Nerazzurri finished second in Serie A, just one point behind Napoli and were humiliated by Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final – suffering a 5-0 defeat in Munich.
During his playing career, the Romanian made 169 appearances for Inter, winning three Serie A titles, three Coppa Italia trophies and the Champions League.
Chivu was also a part of Inter’s infamous treble-winning side in 2009/10, playing under the iconic coach, Jose Mourinho, who recently spoke about the Romanian’s appointment in Milan.
Mourinho said: “He is one of my kids. He learned from his experience as a player, which was enormous, but now it is different. It is one thing to be a great player, quite another to be a coach.
“I hope he manages to make this transition. I know he loves Inter, and Inter loves him. He is a fantastic lad, with hunger, courage and character.”
Mourinho is currently in charge of Turkish side Fenerbahce, as he continues a managerial career that will go down in the history books, finding success at some of the world’s biggest clubs.
The Portuguese coach has won league titles across three different countries, while also winning the Champions League with Porto and during the previous mentioned treble at Inter.
Completing the treble is undoubtedly Mourinho’s biggest accomplishment, however, the former Inter boss does not want Chivu to repeat this success – jokingly claiming his ego could not take another manager winning the treble with the Nerazzurri.
Mourinho said: “The only thing I hope is that he doesn’t win the Treble. Chivu can win the Champions League, the Scudetto, but I am egotistical. I’d love Inter to win the Champions League again, but not the Treble.”
Is Jose Mourinho The Last Serie A Manager To Win The Champions League?
Mourinho’s legacy in the sport is hard to dispute, winning 26 major trophies during his career with the likes of Porto, Real Madrid, Chelsea and Inter Milan.
Some argue that his best days came as the ‘Special One’ with Chelsea, however, his time in Italy cannot be diminished and the Portuguese icon is still the last manager to win the Champions League with an Italian side.
Not only that, Mourinho is also the last manager to win any European trophy with a Serie A side, winning the Europa Conference League with Roma in 2022.
The veteran coach has been linked with a return to Italy, being one of the favorites to take the reins at a host of sides on Serie A betting sites, but the Portuguese coach revealed that he is only missed for his European performances.
Mourinho said: “I don’t think you miss me really. The only reason you might miss me is because nobody won the Champions League in Italy after me.
“That is the only real problem, unfortunately it is true. They call me the Special One because I do things that people don’t expect. Now we’ll see if I manage to do something unexpected in Istanbul too.”
