Mario Melchiot recalls how Jose Mourinho ‘respected’ him every time he faced Chelsea

Mario Melchiot says former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho always had massive respect for his former players

Former Chelsea star Mario Melchiot recalls his time when he used to face Jose Mourinho and says how the Portuguese manager had great respect for him.

The right-back joined the Blues from Ajax in 1999 and remained there for five seasons. He became a household name at the club and operated as a right-back. He featured in 164 matches for the West Londoners, registering five goals and five assists during his stint at the club.

Now mood at Chelsea isn’t good as Mauricio Pochettino’s employment is in jeopardy because of the outpouring of anger from critics and supporters following yet another devastating defeat to Wolves. This has seen Mourinho being linked to a position at Chelsea following his dismissal from AS Roma.

But currently, it’s unlikely that the Blues will be ready to make the Portuguese their manager. But Melchiot, who has worked under the former Inter Milan manager, speaks about his time when he used to face the gaffer, (h/t Football. London), and told Ladbrokes Fanzone:

“And whenever I came up against Chelsea in my career, Jose would always go out of his way to stop and talk to me. He’s the kind of guy who respects good players, whether they’re on his team or not. And if he respects you as a player, he will stop you in the tunnel and shake your hand.”

No one is like the special one.

Mourinho has always had respect for his former players, and he has helped many such stars become world-class.

He is the type of coach every club would want when they are enduring a poor spell. Under him, Melchiot became a quality right-back and helped Chelsea win the Premier League in his first stint as Blues manager.

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Because of his personality, he has been an instant success at the clubs, making him one of the most sophisticated managers. Roma is currently a prime example of a team that failed to bring home trophies, yet during Mourinho’s first season in charge, they won the Europa Conference League.