Tuesday, June 3, 2008

" I am a different tactician" Jose Mourinho

Jose Mourinho announced at his unveiling as Inter Milan boss that he is "a great coach" but insisted he no longer wants to be special.
Less than a year after his departure from Chelsea, the Portuguese tactician - who once described himself as "the special one" - has taken the helm of the three-time defending champions Inter with the aim of taking them to greater heights in Europe.
Mourinho, 45, has replaced Roberto Mancini on a three-year contract.
"I am Mourinho - period," he said at his introductory press conference at Inter's training ground.
"I have arrived at a special club and I believe I am a great coach but I don't want to be special."
Mourinho, a controversial figure in England, because of his outspoken nature, claims he will not have a different approach in Serie A.
He said: "I don't change - I am the same person as I was before, with the same mission and the same passion for my work.
"I have always believed that I would like to work in Italy and at a great club.
"I want to thank (Inter president) Massimo Moratti and (sporting director) Marco Branca that have given me this opportunity.
"For me this is a very important challenge but I believe that it could be very enjoyable also for you (the media)."
Inter decided to part company with Mancini following a difficult end to the season.
The club made a quarter-final exit in the Champions League and, immediately after, Mancini announced he would not be with the team after the campaign - only to retract his statement 24 hours later.
Moratti insisted Mancini would stay at Inter, but had a change of heart once the Nerazzurri had taken a third straight Scudetto.
Mourinho praised Mancini's work.
"I need to start a new cycle after that of Mancini, who I consider a great coach, but I am a different tactician," he said.
"I want to change the football philosophy of the team, this is my challenge.
"Moratti has asked me to be myself and to be Mourinho means to work in harmony with players, with the club and with the fans."
Mourinho addressed the press in near-flawless Italian and revealed he had been learning the language since the club first made contact nearly three months ago.
He said: "I think the truth is important and the truth is that the first time Inter spoke to me was the day after they lost the second match against Liverpool (on March 11).
"I started to learn Italian then, but it is easy - I only have problems with the temporal verbs, but the words come easy."
However, Mourinho admitted there was another reason for him becoming so fluent.
"I am very intelligent," he said.
Mancini initially announced he would step down at the end of the season after the Liverpool defeat and, although he later reversed his decision, Inter revealed that outburst had been a big factor in their decision to sack him last week.
Mourinho has been out of work since he parted company with Chelsea last September and admitted the west London club still had a place in his heart.
In a three-year spell at Stamford Bridge, the former Porto boss endeared himself to Blues fans, most notably by guiding them to consecutive Premier League titles in his first two seasons in charge.
Despite his memorable time in west London, Mourinho wants to focus on a new chapter in his life at the San Siro.
"I will always, always, always support Chelsea and wish them all the best with their new coach, but if Chelsea meet Inter in the Champions League, then I won't know any of them," he said.
"Chelsea is over for me - not in my heart, but in my thoughts.
"At this moment, I want to start a new life and I do not want to talk about Chelsea.
"It will be hard, but I want to have the same passion with the fans of Inter and the same relationship with the players and carry joy to Inter in the same way I did for Chelsea."
Mourinho said he "cannot wait" to get working with the team on July 15, but said the first thing he will tell them is to forget about the past.
Inter have won the past three Serie A titles under their former boss Mancini, however Mourinho has warned his players that will count for nothing now that he has arrived at the club.
"A cycle has ended with a great coach like Roberto (Mancini), but this is a new page," he said.
"This is the start of a new life for Inter.
"We have to forget what we have won - that has been won and is history.
"We need to have new aims. I like to win and always put the past aside and think to the future.
"If somebody tells me that Inter won the league last season, I prefer to say Inter have won it 16 times, but those 16 are now history."

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