Cantona: I admire Mourinho

23 Mar 2013 12:30:00

The legendary Frenchman is full of praise for the flamboyant trainer, and has hailed the way the Portuguese manages his teams

Manchester United legend Eric Cantona has voiced his admiration for Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho, revealing the Portuguese's presence is one of the reasons why he follows the Santiago Bernabeu side.

The former France international has admitted he is not a fan of Mourinho's pragmatic approach, but is full of praise for the way the former Chelsea boss manages his team.

"Barcelona are one of the few teams that interest me and of course Manchester United. And then there's Real Madrid, because they have a coach like Mourinho," Cantona told Le Matin.

"I'm not a fan of his style of play, but he has an amazing personality. He is very intelligent, has incredible charisma and a rather special way of managing things. He says that a coach needs to be an actor and I agree with him.

"It's important not to always show your emotions when you're surrounded by your players. It's all about what the players need to see and need to hear.

"Will it benefit the team or not when their coach enters the dressing room frustrated and throws around teacups? It all depends on the situation and Mourinho knows exactly how to behave in every situation.

"He always draws attention to himself. Not just because of his ego, but because he wants to take the pressure off his players.

"People are talking about Mourinho when there's a team with world champions. I really admire what he does."

Mourinho guided Madrid to the Liga title last term after winning the Copa del Rey in his first season with the Blancos.