Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho has hailed himself as one of football’s ‘most important managers’.
Spurs are sixth in the Premier League table and will end their 13-year trophy drought if they beat Man City in the Carabao Cup final next month.
AFP
However, Mourinho has faced criticism over his perceived defensive tactics during spells with Manchester United and Tottenham.
Asked how he deals with his critics during a ‘Game on with Mourinho’ event organised by Tottenham’s sponsors, AIA, the 58-year-old said: “I don’t think anybody is going to discuss rocket science with the guys from NASA, with everybody around the world.
“They think they can discuss football with one of the most important managers in the game.
“That’s the beauty of football. I got used to it. I appreciate that. So that’s fine for me.”
Mourinho, who has won league titles in England, Spain and Italy, says he is motivated by his ‘Mourinistas’.
He explained: “Honestly, I get my strength from myself, but mainly from the people that I love and the people that I know, they love me, even if many of them I don’t know them.
“I never met them. I used to call them the Mourinistas because in Portugal we use these ‘inistas’ in the end of the name of the club that we love to express to supporters.
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“So, for example, if you are from Porto, you say Portista, if you are from Benfica, you say Benfikista. And if you are from Mourinho, we say Mourinista.
“And I have so many more Mourinistas around the world that I, I play for them.”
Tottenham were knocked out of the Europa League as Dinamo Zagreb overturned a 2-0 first leg deficit by winning 3-0 last week.
It led to reports claiming Mourinho would be sacked if Spurs fail to finish in the top four this season.
But the Portuguese coach has been defended by former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy.
He told talkSPORT: “Mourinho is very adept at using the tools he has. I don’t think he can make Tottenham into Man City or Liverpool and play that way with the players he’s got.
“I think he looked at the group of players, and he’s tried to adapt the way he plays to get success.
“If Tottenham win that game against City and finish in the top four, that’s a tremendous achievement with that group of players.
“Some will sit here and say, ‘well, he should do that with that group of players’. No, the budget he has and squad he’s got doesn’t compare to some of the clubs he’s competing with.”
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