José Mourinho on Zidane’s Elegance and Portugal’s World Cup Chances
José Mourinho has never been one for half-measures. Sit him down for a long conversation, and the stories start to spill: finals, legends, loyalty, politics, and a World Cup he believes Portugal can win.
The former Inter and Roma coach, now in charge at Benfica, opened up to Sport Week about the moments that still burn brightest in his memory and the convictions he refuses to dilute.
‘I told him he’d score the winner’
Nicolò Zaniolo once called Mourinho a “master”, a coach who could almost predict matches before they unfolded. Mourinho doesn’t fully buy into the myth – but he knows there are nights when his intuition hits the bullseye.
“Almost,” he replied with a smile when reminded of Zaniolo’s words.
Then came the one example he was happy to claim.
He had told people Zaniolo would decide the Europa Conference League final for Roma against Feyenoord. In Tirana, that is exactly what happened: Zaniolo ghosted in, took his chance, and delivered Roma’s first European trophy in more than half a century. Mourinho had seen it coming and, crucially, built a game plan that allowed it to happen.
For a coach who has lived his life in finals, that prediction sits comfortably alongside his other great European nights.
Zidane, pure elegance
Ask Mourinho to define elegance in football and he doesn’t hesitate. No long list, no debate. One name.
“The first name that comes to mind is Zinedine Zidane,” he said.
For a man forged in the fire of rivalry with Juventus and Milan, it’s a striking choice. He even joked that one of his most loyal former players might not love the answer.
“Marco Materazzi might get mad at me for saying it, but watching Zizou play was pure beauty.”
Mourinho has built teams on aggression, structure and relentlessness, yet when he talks about Zidane there is no mention of tactics. Just grace. Control. The way one player could make the ball and the pitch look like his private stage.
Rome in his heart
The conversation drifted from players to places, from elegance on the pitch to beauty off it. Asked to name his favourite city as a coach, Mourinho swerved the usual clichés.
For him, it is not about skyline or architecture. It is about people.
“The most important thing is to be with the people I love. It could even be the Sahara Desert,” he said.
Then he allowed himself one indulgence.
“To me, anyway, the most beautiful city in the world is Rome.”
This from a man who has lived and worked in London, Madrid, Milan and Lisbon. Rome, where he delivered a European trophy and built a fierce bond with a fanbase that adored his defiance, still lingers.
Portugal’s golden chance
Talk inevitably turned to the World Cup. Mourinho will not be there on the touchline, but his eyes are firmly on one nation.
“Portugal can do anything,” he insisted. “They have an incredible generation. They won the Nations League a year ago. We won the Euros in 2016, and this generation is technically superior to that team.”
That is a bold benchmark. The Euro 2016 side delivered Portugal’s first major trophy. This one, in Mourinho’s eyes, has more talent on the ball, more variety, more ways to hurt opponents.
He knows the path will not be clear. He namechecked the giants waiting in the bracket: “Of course, there is Carletto Ancelotti’s Brazil, Argentina, but Portugal can win this World Cup.”
It is not blind patriotism. It is the calculation of a coach who has spent decades reading squads, weighing mental strength and technical quality. Portugal, he believes, have the tools to go the distance.
‘One thing is politics, one is sport’
Away from tactics and nostalgia, Mourinho did not duck the issue that has hovered over this World Cup: Iran’s participation.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino has confirmed Iran’s place at the tournament, but geopolitical tensions in the Middle East have fuelled speculation about whether they will actually appear. Donald Trump’s former Special Envoy, Paolo Zampolli, has even pushed the idea that Italy should step in if Iran do not show.
Mourinho wanted no part of that political tug-of-war. His stance was clear, sharp, and rooted in the players on the pitch, not the power brokers off it.
“One thing is politics, one is sport,” he said.
For him, the line is non-negotiable. The Iran squad earned qualification on the field, under pressure, like every other team.
“The Iranian players who have qualified for the World Cup, which will involve too many teams, deserve to play it.”
It was a small aside, almost a throwaway jab at the bloated format of the competition, but the core message cut through: do not punish footballers for decisions made far above their heads.
Mourinho has built a career on dividing lines – us and them, inside and outside, his dressing room against the world. On this topic, though, his view is expansive. Qualification should mean something. For Iran’s players, he believes it should mean everything.
