Joe Cole makes 'kicked Daniel Levy's cat' joke about Jose Mourinho as Tottenham tenure labelled a 'write off'

Mourinho has returned to where it all began for him in a coaching capacity, with professional steps being retraced to Benfica. Said move was made after being relieved of his duties by Turkish giants Fenerbahce, with a rare trophyless tenure being endured in Istanbul. There is no questioning Mourinho’s appetite for success or his desire to chase down major honours.

He has done that across spells with Porto, Chelsea, Inter, Real Madrid, Manchester United and Roma. Questions have been asked of his methods, and whether they could now be considered outdated, but top jobs continue to come his way and he remains one of the most decorated coaches to have ever graced a dugout.

Ahead of an emotional reunion with Chelsea in the 2025-26 Champions League, ex-Blues star Cole told Paddy Power when asked if the modern game is passing Mourinho by: “For me, the only question mark over the last 10 years is the Fenerbahce job, and I don't know enough about what happened over there.

“The Manchester United job now looks like a stellar job, when you think of the debacle that came before and after him, incredible job. Spurs, he had them on the brink of a cup... I don't know what Daniel Levy was thinking sacking a manager before a cup final. I'll never be able to comprehend that unless he's gone in and kicked Daniel's cat the night before! The Tottenham job is a write off.

“This is a crucial job for him. It's a smart move for him to go back to his home country, back to where he knows and back where it all started. If he goes and wins the league at Benfica and has a run in the Champions League, his name will start being bandied around the big clubs again."

Quizzed on whether Mourinho can be considered the greatest manager to have ever passed through Stamford Bridge, Cole added: “I don't think there's any doubt in that. Obviously, he's then gone on to manage Spurs and Manchester United, but I see him at Chelsea as a [Bill] Shankly-type character.

“When he walked through the door, there’s a clear line from being a fashionable club… Chelsea's always been a fashionable club where people were excited to come and watch great players, but he came in and changed the club and effectively started the last 25 years, which has been unbridled success. The fans will always love him because he's the manager that started that success.”

Cole was already on Chelsea’s books when Mourinho arrived for his first spell in west London during the summer of 2024. They would go on to win two Premier League titles together, with Cole saying of what the enigmatic Portuguese is like to play under: “He's brilliant, looking back on it. It was just fun, the lads used to love it. We used to love his press conferences, coming into the building and being all ‘He said what?!’.

“He was a breath of fresh air for the Premier League and was probably the last 'rock and roll' manager. I'd put him next to people like Brian Clough, and you've seen the legacy of Brian Clough. Whenever you go to Forest they're still talking about him and his pictures are everywhere. I think Jose is that type of guy.”

Mourinho has enjoyed an unbeaten start to his reign at Benfica, picking up seven points from three Liga fixtures. Chelsea will provide his biggest test yet, but the Blues have picked up just one win from their last five games in all competitions to see a few uncomfortable questions asked of head coach Enzo Maresca.