Messi Shaped My Career More Than Anyone – Mourinho

Fenerbahce head coach, José Mourinho has revealed that Lionel Messi is the player who has influenced his managerial growth the most.

Widely regarded as one of football’s all-time greats, Messi has been a constant presence in Mourinho’s career, often lining up on the opposite side in some of the sport’s biggest matches.

Messi made his first-team debut for Barcelona in a 2003 friendly against Mourinho’s Porto. Since then, their paths have crossed numerous times — in LaLiga during Mourinho’s tenure at Real Madrid, and in high-stakes Champions League clashes when he managed Chelsea and Inter Milan.

In an interview with Sporty Net, Mourinho was asked which player had the biggest impact on his development. He responded: “Messi, because every time I played against him he forced me to think a lot.”

Mourinho’s battles with Messi have produced some of the most memorable moments in modern football — and clearly, they left a lasting impression on the Portuguese tactician.