“Mourinho’s image of an extremely defensive coach isn’t completely right.”
Chelsea’s Eden Hazard has admitted he would like to play for Jose Mourinho again at some point in the future.
The Belgian forward played under Mourinho during the Manchester United boss’s second stint as Chelsea manager between 2013 and 2015, winning the Premier League in the 2014/15 season.
“If I’m now asked one coach with whom I want to work again, then I say: ‘Mourinho’,” Hazard told HLN.
Although Hazard acknowledged that Mourinho’s playing style was not as adventurous as that of Manchester City boss, Pep Guardiola, he added that the perception he is overly defensive is unfair.
“Mourinho’s image of an extremely defensive coach isn’t completely right.
“The season in which we became champions, we made many goals and played good games.”
After winning the title in 2015, Chelsea started the following season poorly. A string of losses eventually saw Mourinho leave the club for a second time the following December. Though Hazard acknowledges that this was the worst spell of his career, he points out that he was also partly to blame for this – not his former manager.
“In 12 years I’ve only had one bad season – the last six months under Mourinho – and it was partly my fault,” he added.
“After the title, we asked Mourinho for extra holidays. I came back totally out of shape.
“We didn’t win, we got into a sort of routine – training, training without having fun. It was better for all parties that the collaboration came to an end.”
Hazard will come up against his former manager when he returns to London after the international break. United, already with three defeats to their name, face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge next Saturday afternoon. Should Chelsea win, Mourinho may well find himself looking for a new job in the near future.
