Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney says he hated playing against Chelsea during Jose Mourinho’s first stint as manager.
Mourinho joined the Blues in 2004 after leading Porto to a stunning Champions League victory the previous season.
The Portuguese boss took England by storm as he registered back-to-back Premier League titles.
United ultimately ended their spell of dominance, and the ‘Special One’ departed Stamford Bridge in 2007.
However, Rooney admitted in a recent interview with TNT Sports that he found it challenging against Chelsea during Mourinho’s first two seasons as manager.
“The only team really which I could never win against for a few years was Chelsea,” he said. “I used to hate going to Stamford Bridge, and it was when Mourinho was there the first time.
“They were horrible to play against and were solid and organised. I always remember thinking: ‘I don’t know how anyone is going to stop them?’
“Then obviously we did, but it was always a tough game against them.”
Mourinho joined Inter Milan in 2008 following his Chelsea departure, where he achieved a historic treble of Serie A, the Coppa Italia and the Champions League.
The Portuguese boss returned to Chelsea after a managerial stint at Real Madrid but wasn’t as successful in his second spell.
However, Mourinho’s excellent track record convinced Man United to appoint him in 2016.
He led the Red Devils to Europa League and League Cup success in his debut campaign before securing a second-place Premier League finish in 2017-18.
However, a poor start to the following season led to his dismissal in December 2018.
Mourinho has subsequently managed Tottenham Hotspur and AS Roma. He won the Europa Conference League with the Italian club.
He is reportedly eyeing a sensational return to United, but that doesn’t look very likely.
