Jose Mourinho reveals how many trophies he needs to earn respect

Jose Mourinho has cranked up the mind games on his Premier League rivals by telling them that his 25-trophy haul makes him the Special One.

The volatile United boss came out shooting from the lip when asked what he has to do to get the respect he deserves. Mourinho reckons 25 trophies is the measure of joining the ranks of the managerial greats.

That’s four more than Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola and Arsenal’s Arsene Wenger.

Antonio Conte of Chelsea – the team United face at Stamford Bridge today – has won six. And it is clear that Mourinho is bitter that Guardiola, Tottenham’s Mauricio Pochettino and Jurgen Klopp of Liverpool have been glorified by the hype of all-out attack this season, while he’s been branded an enemy of football.

He said: “I think that probably 25 trophies is the line that people made about a successful manager. For some managers, they still need to win one more trophy to reach that 25 level.

“Some others need 25 trophies to reach that level, some others need four, some others they need 12, some other they need 15, some other they need 24. I have 25 but I still want one more. So maybe when I win one more trophy than 25 I have a little bit of credit.”

And Mourinho, who has been successful in England, Portugal, Italy and Spain, insists that beautiful football is in the eye of the beholder. For him, football is at its most compelling when competition is at its most intense.

He said: “Before I am a football manager, I am a football lover – and I can spend a whole day watching football.

“For me, the priority is competition. But what is the magic for you? What is for you phenomenal? The way Tottenham played against Real Madrid? I recently saw another team play exactly that way and yet it I was told it was negative.

“I saw a team play exactly that way – defending, pressing, controlling all the penetration, playing with five at the back, the full-backs overlapping, getting possession of the ball, going forward in quick transitions, attacking the last line of defence.

“I recently watched a match like that, but it was not on TV. I was close to the action – it was when I was on the touchline.”