Jose Mourinho claims he was accused of BULLYING at Man United because he changed a player at half time – and insists coaching is ‘different’ now, having once hooked Nemanja Matic off after 28 minutes at Stamford Bridge as he ‘did anything to win’
Jose Mourinho claims he was once accused of bullying at Manchester United after substituting a player at half-time, as he talked about how coaching is 'different' these days.
The Portuguese manager, who won three Premier League titles with Chelsea in two separate spells at Stamford Bridge, quickly reasserted his authority in the English top flight after joining the west London club in 2004.
Mourinho led Chelsea to Premier League glory during his first two seasons in charge, impressing with his tactical approach and no-nonsense management style.
He returned to help Chelsea win the title again in 2015 and later joined Manchester United, where he lifted the Europa League and League Cup during his two-year spell at Old Trafford.
Looking back on his years at Manchester, Mourinho revealed how times have changed dramatically between his first spell at Chelsea and recent years in the Premier League.
Jose Mourinho claims he was once accused of bullying at Manchester United after substituting a player at half-time, telling how coaching has become 'different' in the modern era
The boss, who played at United between 2016 and 2018, has not revealed who made the accusation
Speak with The Obi One Podcast this week, Mourinho claimed he was once accused of bullying after substituting a player at half-time.
'When I played for Man United, I changed players at half-time. I made a change and was accused of bullying,” he said, choosing not to identify the player.
Mourinho suggested how times have changed since his first spell in England and hinted that managers must now take players' feelings into account when making tactical decisions.
Mourinho told how he sent off Chelsea's substitute Nemanja Matic after just 28 minutes at half-time at Stamford Bridge against Southampton in October 2015, insisting he 'did everything' he could to win the match.
'He was on the bench with Matic at Stamford Bridge. I put it on at minute 45, I turn it off around minute 70. That is education, that is coaching. That's doing everything you can to win. “I had to make the change,” he said.
'I laugh at these times, but they are different times (now). Even to be a father, you have to be a different father than your father was to you. You have to change depending on the world.”
Mourinho, who is now head coach of Serie A side Roma, was speaking on the Obi One podcast
“I used to say really bad things to these guys!” Mourinho added, referring to his first spell at Chelsea.
Interestingly, Mourinho – who now coaches Serie A side Roma – replaced one of his players on Sunday evening, just 20 minutes after introducing him at half-time.
Midfielder Renato Santos made way in the 64th minute of their clash with Bologna, with the player showing no signs of injury.
Later in the interview, Mikel told how his former coach once angrily threw drinks bottles off a massage table, prompting Mourinho to recall another 'unknown' story from his Chelsea days.
Mourinho added: 'One day I kicked (the massage table) wrong and I did it with my shin, so I was in a lot of pain. I wanted to cry, but the boys looked at me. So I had to bite my finger thinking, “I broke my tibia!”
Despite admitting he was injured by the substitution in 2015, Matic insisted he 'stayed professional' to Mourinho after Chelsea's 3-1 defeat.
He told the Mirror: 'To be honest, I hated being subbed. I'm a man first and of course I felt bad at that moment. But as you know, I didn't react, I remained professional.
'Normally some players react to that and cause problems, but as you can see I did not react and show respect for the coach and for the club and my team. It was very difficult. You have to play and see how it feels.
Mourinho explained how he did everything he could to win games at Chelsea, citing the fact that he once sent off substitute Nemanja Matic after just 28 minutes in 2015.
Matic teamed up with Mourinho again in 2015 before reportedly falling out with the manager
'I knew I was doing the right thing when I was on the bench. I knew I did the right thing and I'm proud I didn't react.”
Matic, who later joined Mourinho at Manchester United, worked with the Portuguese boss again at Roma in the summer of 2022.
The defensive midfielder lasted just one season in Rome after falling out with Mourinho, who was reportedly unimpressed with the player's attitude during training.
Matic has since made 12 appearances for Rennes after moving to the Ligue 1 club last summer.