Not content with criticising Rafa Benitez’ wife and the Real Madrid manager’s diet, Jose Mourinho has continued his attack, this time over the Spaniard’s management of John Terry.
In a press conference ahead of Chelsea’s Community Shield match against FA Cup holders Arsenal, Mourinho said captain Terry was a forgotten man under Benitez a few years ago.
Veteran defender Terry has always posted his flag to Mourinho’s mast and was well-known to be a disruptive influence when Benitez was in charge at Stamford Bridge in 2012-13. Despite that, Benitez showed his tactical nous by leading the west London club to success in the Europa League.
At the same time, Mourinho was busy falling out with most of his squad at the Santiago Bernabeu, making enemies with the Spanish FA, and failing to win the Champions League – or any other major honour for that matter that season.
Forgetting the success Benitez had at Chelsea without Terry, Mourinho stated: “Certainly a couple of years ago, Terry disappeared. A couple of injuries, one or two managers that stopped believing in him at the club, bringing in other defenders that they thought would be John’s replacement.
“And especially in the season before I came, which was Rafael Benitez’s season, I thought ‘this guy’s finished’ because he’s not playing finals, he’s not playing in big matches. I thought he was in trouble.”
