- Mourinho won the league, a cup and the Champions League with Inter in 2010
- Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have dominated the Ballon d’Or awards for years
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Jose Mourinho has denied that one of his former Inter Milan stars was ‘robbed’ of the Ballon d’Or in 2010.
The former AS Roma manager spoke for one of the first times since he was fired. He spoke with Rio Ferdinand and YouTube channel co-host Stephen Howson to discuss a variety of topics.
Although his failures included poor results during his time as Manchester United manager and a prediction of who the winners of the Premier League and Champions League would be, the Portuguese coach also took the time to do one of to discuss his former players.
Mourinho made history in the 2009/10 season when he won the Champions League title with Inter Milan, a team led by Dutchman Wesley Sneijder that also tasted Serie A and the Coppa Italia.
But the midfielder fell short in the Ballon d’Or rankings, finishing fourth behind Messi, Andres Iniesta and Xavi. However, that was not a problem for Mourinho, he explained FIVE.
Jose Mourinho (right) has denied that Wesley Sneijder (left) was robbed of winning the Ballon d’Or in 2010
Sneijder won the Champions League with Inter under Mourinho in 2010
The team won the Treble that year and also won the Serie A and Coppa Italia trophies
Sneijder reached a World Cup final with the Netherlands, but lost to winner Spain in extra time
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“I don’t like to say robbed,” Mourinho said. ‘Who won, Messi? So not robbed.
‘But Wesley did the treble, winner of the Champions League, I think the World Cup final of the same season. So Wesley should be at least in the top three, but if in the last generation Cristiano (Ronaldo) and Messi win the Ballon d’Or, it will never be robbed.’
Messi has won eight Ballon d’Ors in his career and won his last and probably his last in 2023, ahead of Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe.
Ronaldo has won five, including in 2013 when he played under Mourinho for about six months.
One of the two men has won 13 of the last 15 trophies, meaning it has been difficult for other players to break the pattern, but it is likely that a new era will dawn with Messi now playing in the MLS and Ronaldo in the Saudi Pro League.
Mourinho spoke for one of the first times since losing his job as AS Roma manager last month
He worked with five-time winner Cristiano Ronaldo (left) at Real Madrid for three years
Lionel Messi won the award in 2010 instead of Sneijder and has won the award eight times, a record
Mourinho, meanwhile, was perhaps at the height of his powers at Inter, but left in 2010 after his success at the club to take over at Ronaldo’s Madrid.
He returned to Chelsea and coached Manchester United and Tottenham in the Premier League before taking over at Roma, a job he lost in mid-January.