Former Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has opened up on how he used to prepare for United and Liverpool games during his tenure at Old Trafford. The Special focussed more on the emotional side of the derbies.
“There’s a certain way to live the game, it’s not just a professional way,” he said.
“When you are in a derby, even if you are not a local boy, in your case (talking to Graeme Souness) you were local in the Rangers vs Celtic, but not for example in Sampdoria vs Genoa.”
Mourinho managed to win only one out of five league games against Manchester City, drawing one and losing the remaining three matches. He had a better record against Liverpool, winning and losing one each while drawing the other three games.
Following his only loss to Liverpool back in December, Mourinho was fired from the managerial role at United as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer succeeded in his place.
“It is something you can’t explain, you can only feel,” he continued.
“I have to say that in a derby, the night before, I sleep with the pyjamas of my team and I wake up ready to go. It is a special feeling.”
“You can’t just think about what you feel but also what the fans feel.”
“The ones that were born there, that were born with that rivalry. Milan, Inter, what that means for me?”
“I’m not Italian, I never played for Inter, I never lived in Italy. I have nothing to do with that. I have to be under the skin that love the club.”
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