Steve Sidewll has just told a fascinating memory he’s got of a half-time conversation between Jose Mourinho and John Terry in the Chelsea dressing room.
When it comes to Chelsea history, the names of Jose Mourinho and John Terry both feature as prominent figures of the club’s success in the 21st century.
Mourinho, who had two separate spells as the Blues manager, won eight major trophies in total with them. He shook up the balance of the Premier League during his first spell between 2004-07 before returning for another successful stint in West London from 2013-15.
John Obi Mikel thinks current Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca can learn from Mourinho because his team needs to become more ruthless.
As for Terry, he spent nearly all of his playing career at Stamford Bridge after coming through the Blues academy. The retired central defender made 717 first-team appearances for the Blues, winning 15 trophies.
When Jose Mourinho ‘stuck it on’ John Terry in Chelsea dressing room
During an episode of That Peter Crouch podcast, former Chelsea player Steve Sidwell has shared an old memory of a fiery dressing room conversation between Mourinho and Terry at the Bridge on a matchday.
Sidwell said: “I remember once we came in from a home game. I don’t remember what game it was. Jose came in and did his team talk. He then stuck it on JT a bit to say, ‘We need more from you.’. I was like, ‘f—— he’s probably one of our best players.’.
“He’d finished [his team talk] then he’s come over to where JT was sitting. John used to have a different pair of boots for the warm-up, first half, and second half. He was taking his boots off and putting a different pair of boots on. He looked up at Jose and he was saying, ‘I need you.’. It was a big game, he was like, ‘We can’t lose this.’. He was digging him out to say, ‘I need you to perform better.’.
“He was basically saying if you perform better, you bring everyone else up. I remember Jose walking away and him going, ‘f—— he’s always on me’. He brought him down a little bit, but when he went out second half and played, he was just brilliant.”
It’s a great example of how Mourinho was the master of getting the best out of his players.
Terry previously admitted he couldn’t get on with Rafael Benitez at Chelsea. However, you could argue he played his best ever football for the Blues when he had Mourinho in the dugout pressing his buttons.
Back in 2017, Chelsea icon Terry spoke on Sky Sports Football about his close relationship with Mourinho. He said: “I would leave that pitch in a coffin for him.”
Even after winning titles, Mourinho was still nudging Terry for more success at Chelsea. It’s unlikely fans will see mentality monsters quite like them again at the club.
Jose Mourinho the greatest to manage Chelsea
It’s a testament to Mourinho’s brilliance when you hear the way that former players who have worked under him talk about his impact.
John Obi Mikel admitted everyone cried when Mourinho left Chelsea the first time. Thankfully, the supporters would get another journey under him at a later stage.
His long and successful career in management covers far more than just his glory with the Blues, but we’d still rate it as his most dominant period on the touchline.
| Player | Clubs | Appearances |
| Ricardo Carvalho | 3 | 293 |
| John Terry | 1 | 267 |
| Frank Lampard | 1 | 215 |
| Paulo Ferreira | 2 | 212 |
| Nemanja Matic | 3 | 209 |
In terms of the greatest to ever manager Chelsea, Mourinho deserves the crown despite the successes of individuals such as Carlo Ancelotti, Antonio Conte and Thomas Tuchel.
