Jose Mourinho has nothing but admiration for the performance of a defensive trio at the 2021 European Championship. That’s what the Portuguese says.
Start coach Jose Mourinho has praised Italy’s captain Giorgio Chiellini for his tactical foul on Bukayo Saka in the European Championship final against England (3: 2 iE). “What Chiellini did with Saka says everything. He made his only mistake in the game, he lost the curve on the sideline. Saka was gone and he just thought: You are not going anywhere, you are staying here, yours Shirt is mine, “said Mourinho at TalkSport.
Saka had prevailed on the sidelines against Chiellini shortly before the end of regular time and would have been free to head towards the goal. Chiellini then grabbed Saka by the jersey and held him tight. Chiellini saw a yellow card for this, but the dangerous situation was defused. A red card was out of the question due to the field position and the way to the goal.
Mourinho on Chiellini: “A clever guy”
For Mourinho, this action shows Chiellini’s whole class. “He knows what he’s doing. He’s a top defender and a clever guy,” said the Portuguese, for whom the tandem of Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci is something very special. “I played Juventus with Manchester United a few years ago and after the game I just thought, ‘These two guys should go to university and give lectures on how to defend,'” said Mourinho.
According to the 58-year-old, it is particularly impressive that they are still able to show these qualities, despite the fact that they are now older. “Chiellini can probably no longer access it every three days, sometimes he needs a break or there is a small injury like at the beginning of the tournament. But they are both still at the highest level,” said the new AS Roma coach. who will be able to admire both of them up close again in the coming season.
Mourinho ennobles Walker: “An absolute animal”
But not only the two Italian defender veterans convinced Mourinho at the EM. “My player of the tournament was Kyle Walker,” said Mourinho, referring to the English defender.
“From the first minute of the tournament to the moment he stepped off the pitch in the final, he was phenomenal. When I call a player an animal, it’s the biggest compliment I can give a player. And Kyle Walker is an absolute beast, “says” Mou “ennobling the Manchester City defender.
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
