Jose Mourinho says he has seen more passion from Manchester United supporters than fans of any club he has managed.
The Special One has managed Porto, Chelsea (twice), Real Madrid and Inter Milan but says those who follow the Old Trafford club are a cut above.
Mourinho, whose side lifted the EFL Cup on Sunday, makes the bold statement in a message to United supporters within the pages of the renewal brochure for season tickets.
In it, he also speaks of his desire to ‘entertain, to attack, to score goals, to win’ and vows to ‘achieve more’ next season.
‘The crowd at Old Trafford must play its part too,’ Mourinho states before going on to make his rousing claim about United’s followers.
‘I have to say I’ ve been impressed by your dedication and commitment, as season ticket holders here at United,’ he writes.
‘I’ve managed several clubs and I have never seen such unrivalled passion. The stadium is full every time we play and the support the players receive is special.’
Mourinho’s words may not come as a surprise following his comments on Chelsea supporters during his second stint at Stamford Bridge in 2014.
After a narrow derby victory against QPR, in which visiting fans taunted home supporters with chants of ‘is this a library?’, Mourinho claimed that playing at Stamford Bridge was ‘like playing in an empty stadium’ and claimed that the support from home fans was the worst in the country.
‘I can clearly say we are the team to get less support in home matches,’ Mourinho said.
‘I think it’s getting worse. When comparing to my previous time, I think it’s getting worse. I don’t question the passion and the love – I’ m nobody to question that and I know clearly that’s not true.
‘Chelsea fans show us their passion for this club every day, but there is a certain line of living [way of behaving] at the matches at Stamford Bridge.’
It would appear that Mourinho is experiencing no such problems at Old Trafford.
‘Everybody connected to this fantastic club wants success and this is the same for myself and for my players,’ he explains. We want to entertain, to attack, to score goals – to win!’
He adds: ‘It’s not in our nature to stand still and reflect. We must look forward, work hard, improve, believe and enjoy the journey along the way. Next season we want to achieve more – I hope you can be there again to get behind the team.’
