Former Chelsea and Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho admitted he was an “inch” away from signing a player who would go on to become an “all-time great” at Arsenal.
Mourinhois already regarded as one of the best bosses there has ever been, enjoying plenty of success and winning major honours with FC Porto, Chelsea, Inter Milan, Real Madrid, Man Utd and AS Roma.
|
Jose Mourinho’s honours as a manager |
Year won |
|---|---|
|
FC Porto |
|
|
Champions League |
2004 |
|
UEFA Cup |
2003 |
|
Liga Portugal |
2003, 2004 |
|
Taça de Portugal |
2003 |
|
Portuguese Super Cup |
2003 |
|
Chelsea |
|
|
Premier League |
2005, 2006, 2015 |
|
FA Cup |
2007 |
|
League Cup |
2005, 2007, 2015 |
|
Community Shield |
2005 |
|
Inter Milan |
|
|
Champions League |
2010 |
|
Serie A |
2009, 2010 |
|
Coppa Italia |
2010 |
|
Italian Super Cup |
2008 |
|
Real Madrid |
|
|
La Liga |
2012 |
|
Copa del Rey |
2011 |
|
Spanish Super Cup |
2012 |
|
Manchester United |
|
|
League Cup |
2017 |
|
Community Shield |
2016 |
|
AS Roma |
|
|
Europa Conference League |
2022 |
Cristiano Ronaldo even called Mourinho the best manager he has ever worked with back in 2015, saying: “I would put him at the top, I always say that. He’s a good coach, he did many good things and won many trophies for other clubs.”
During his career, the Portuguese tactician has entertained the footballing world with some brilliant quotes and touchline moments, and he has also struck gold on numerous players in the transfer market.
Jose Mourinho’s best signings in pictures
From defensive stars at Chelsea in Ashley Cole and Petr Cech to attacking icons in Samuel Eto’o and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, there have been plenty of high-profile names Mourinho has persuaded to join him down the years.
However, one of the near-misses Mourinho had in the early days of his coaching career was with Thierry Henry, who would go on to become an Arsenal icon.
Related
9 of the best Jose Mourinho quotes
The Special One has had a way with words over the years.
Mourinho and Robson nearly signed Henry for Barcelona
Now Arsenal’s record goalscorer after a memorable eight-year spell in north London, Henry was signed from Juventus in 1999.
He won two Premier League titles at Highbury and lifted the FA Cup on three occasions, going down as one of the best players the top flight has ever seen.
Juventus only had the French forward for a matter of months before selling him to the Gunners, and they signed him from AS Monaco.
It could have been so much different, though, with Mourinho revealing in 2014 that during his time as Barcelona assistant manager to Sir Bobby Robson, the Catalan giants were an “inch” away from signing Henry from Monaco.
“When I was an assistant in Barcelona with Mr (Bobby) Robson in 1996 (we tried to sign him). He was in Monaco and he went to Juventus, we lost him by an inch. After that he was not on my radar because it was never a possibility to come to my teams. Could you imagine in that moment leaving Arsenal to come to Chelsea? I wouldn’t imagine that.
“He’s the kind of player that you need forever, especially in the Premier League where he was more than any other place. He was okay in Barcelona and the (France) national team, but the real Thierry Henry, the player that we are all going to miss forever, is the one that made unbelievable seasons and incredible history in the Premier League.”
Henry would come up against Mourinho on numerous occasions but never worked under the Portuguese boss, who called Henry “one of the all-time greats”.
