Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho has labelled Sunday’s League Cup clash with Tottenham as his ‘most important’ of his career.
The Portuguese coach has managed the likes of Inter Milan in the Champions League final, won multiple Premier League, Serie A and La Liga titles and been at the forefront of Europe’s biggest derby match – El Clasico.
However, when speaking about this Sunday’s League Cup clash with Mauricio Pochettino’s side, Mourinho said: “This cup final is the most important of my career,” he told the press, “more important than the Champions League finals. More important than all the other cups I’ve ever played before.
“Do I look stupid? It’s just because it’s the next one.
“The others are in the club museum. My medals are somewhere at home, I don’t know where … but the most important game of my career is always the next one.”
Mourinho then discussed the absence of midfielder Nemanja Matic, with the Serbian serving a two game ban after being sent off for his reaction to Ashley Barnes’s tackle against Burnley.
“We must take care of our football,” Mourinho warned. “It’s not about how many millions are watching on television. It’s about the feeling and respect and credibility, what people think about it.
“Strong credibility … this is something English football cannot lose. You lose credibility when a player like Matic is suspended and another player can play this weekend.
“I don’t think you can have any doubt that all around the world people open their mouths with surprise at how this can be possible.”