André Villas-Boas, president of FC Porto, has given his opinion on José Mourinho, his former boss, who currently manages Real Madrid.
“José remains among the best in the world—I always knew that. And now he is coaching the best club in the world,” Villas-Boas said.
“It’s a shame Barcelona is in this state,” he added.
Villas-Boas managed Porto, just like Mourinho once did, before moving on to high-profile appointments at Chelsea FC and Tottenham Hotspur in the early 2010s. His last managerial job was
with Marseille in 2021.
“He finds [Barcelona] in a great moment—like when he left Inter,” Villas-Boas said.
Mourinho joined Real Madrid in 2010, after Barcelona won the treble under Pep Guardiola in 2009. Mourinho had come from winning a treble with Inter Milan as well. Barcelona would repeat as UEFA Champions League winners in 2011.
Mourinho did not win the Champions League with Real. Indeed, that triumph with Inter in 2010 is the last time Mourinho won European club football’s top prize so far. He did win La Liga, Copa del Rey, and the Supercopa de España once each in three seasons managing los blancos.
By comparison, Barcelona won La Liga twice, Copa del Rey once, and seven other cups, in addition to the Champions League, during Mourinho’s three seasons at Real.
“These are the challenges Mourinho enjoys the most,” Villas-Boas said.
