Jose Mourinho: The Match that Made Tactician Make Infamous “I Prefer Not to Speak” Comment

• Jose Mourinho is considered one of the greatest tacticians in modern football
• The Portuguese gaffer is also renowned for hilarious one-liners in the past
• No line is arguably as popular as his infamous ‘I prefer not to speak’ comment

When it comes to memorable quotes from football managers, no one comes close to Jose Mourinho.

The former Real Madrid tactician has delivered hilarious lines in his press conferences over the years, with some of them being used as banter to this day.

From his famous line “I am the Special One”, to sensationally walking out of a press conference while yelling “Respect”, Mourinho is the gift that keeps giving.

Among his popular quotes was one that came in unpleasant circumstances, at least from the 61-year-old’s point of view.

15 best footballers who smoke: A list of footballers who take the occasional puff

Football

Of course, we’re talking about his comment “I prefer not to speak. If I speak, I’m in trouble”.

Modern football fans are aware of this famous quote from Mourinho, but when did the gaffer make the comments? What were the circumstances that led to the outspoken Portuguese tactician to shy away from speaking his mind?

Aston Villa vs Chelsea, 2014

To answer this, you will have to go all the way back to 2014.

Mourinho had taken charge of the Blues for a second stint, and his side were strong contenders for the Premier League title.

The game, which took place on March 15, was a frustrating one for Mourinho’s side, who went into it six points clear of Manchester City.

As reported by BBC, Chelsea had a goal ruled out for handball in the first half, and things took a turn for the worse when a young Willian was sent off after a second yellow card.

Eden Hazard: What Belgian superstar said about Mohamed Salah in 2019

Football

Villa, who were then managed by Paul Lambert, took advantage of the extra man as they grabbed a shock win thanks to Fabian Delph’s 82nd-minute strike.

Chelsea’s miserable evening was summed up when midfielder Ramires was sent off for a two-footed lunge on Karim El Ahmadi, as Mourinho also received his marching orders for his protests soon after the incident.

After the game, Mourinho was in no mood to answer the press, and this was evident in the manner in which he responded to questions.

Asked what happened towards the end of the game, he said, per Sky Sports Retro.

“What happened? You know better than me.” He then proceeded to give a sarcastic explainer why he believed he got sent off.

He then suggested the referee Christopher Foy was out to get his side, before ironically claiming he (Foy) was ‘fantastic’.

Asked to give his opinion on the red cards and big decisions, Mourinho added:

Mikel Arteta sends subtle warning to Thomas Partey after Ghanaian’s return to injury

Football

If you want to speak about big decisions you don’t only speak about the red cards. I prefer not to speak. If I speak I’m in big trouble and I don’t want to be in big trouble.”

He made the same comments when asked whether he believed Villa should have been reduced to 10 men in the first half.

Chelsea’s 2013/14 season

That defeat by Villa proved to be the turning point for Mourinho’s side, who went on to end the 2013/14 campaign in third place, behind eventual champions Manchester City and second-placed Liverpool.

Mourinho uses the “I prefer not to speak” line

Recently, Mourinho applied his own famous quote as he used it to aim a subtle dig at Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta.

As Sports Brief reported, Mourinho tickled his 4.1 million Instagram followers with a post about modern football managers’ celebrations after a victory.

In his post, the 61-year-old shared a collection of some iconic images of himself emphatically celebrating goals and victories of the teams he coached in the past.