Jose Mourinho Comments on Future, Lionel Messi and More in BT Sport Interview

Former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has heaped praise on Barcelona star Lionel Messi, insisting a player of his talent can often be worth more than the collective.

The Portuguese was speaking to BT Sport’s Matt Smith ahead of Barcelona’s clash with Arsenal in the UEFA Champions League, touching upon a host of different topics, including his own future.

But when asked how he felt the game would go, he suggested it’s Messi who will most likely make the difference, as he’s done so often in the past, per Tom Sheen of the Independent:

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First of all it's about individual players. Just to give you an example, Messi won the Champions League with three different managers.

I think it's easier to win with him, than against him. I am a football manager. I know that sometimes people think that the individual is more important than the team. 

But when I feel that it is time for me to take a permanent holiday—I still think that the team is more important than anything.

But the obvious reality is that there are some players who can make a difference.

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Here’s a listen to a section of what Mourinho had to say in the interview, per BT Sport Football:

Messi has been turning in decisive moments ever since he burst onto the scene at the Camp Nou, cementing his status as one of the finest players of all time.

The Argentina man was a key influence in putting Barcelona in a commanding position heading into the second leg of this tie, too. Messi was on hand to cap off a wonderful counter-attack and slot home a penalty in a 2-0 win at the Emirates Stadium, keeping his side well on course to finish this season with yet another treble of trophies.

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As we can see courtesy of WhoScored.com, this calendar year the Argentina man has been back to his very best in front of goal:

It’s an end to the season Mourinho will not be playing any part in after he was dismissed by the Blues earlier in the campaign. Speculation has been rife when it comes to a potential return to management, though, with Manchester United the club who have been most strongly linked with the Portuguese, per Ed Aarons of the Guardian.

Still, the two-time Champions League winner was giving little away about his next job when quizzed by Smith. “I don’t know where,” he said. “Since I left Chelsea in December I was lucky enough to not just have options but good options. But I made the decision to wait. July, mid-July the new pre-season starts and somewhere I want to be there.”

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As Sport Witness notes, should Mourinho end up at Old Trafford, it’d complete a stellar lineup of Premier League managers, with Pep Guardiola set to join the Red Devils’ local rivals Manchester City:

Indeed, Mourinho did reveal that while he’s been enjoying some time off, he misses being immersed in the game. “Do I miss my football? Yes I miss it,” the coach conceded. “But I look forward to the future, I want my football back and time flies and July will be just around the corner.”

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Wherever he ends up, it’s going to be intriguing to see just how Mourinho fares. Although he’s left clubs under a cloud before, the manner in which he was ousted by the Blues was unfamiliar to him, with the club toiling in the lower reaches of the Premier League. While he remains a master motivator and tactician, lessons will surely have been learned.

He’s a man who has come up against Messi on a plethora of occasions already in his distinguished career and will be well aware of just how the genial forward can sway the course of precarious matches.

That a man who values the collective so strongly, like Mourinho, can admit just how influential the genius of one player can be is testament to the immense talent of the Barcelona star.