Jose Mourinho Talks Chelsea 'Position of Privilege' Before Manchester United Tie

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho believes Chelsea are in a "position of privilege" as they don't have the distraction of European competition this season.

Mourinho spoke ahead of United's trip to Stamford Bridge in the FA Cup on Monday, and according to the Press Association (h/t ESPN FC), he was asked about the difficulties of winning the Premier League in a manager's first season, where he identified finding time to work as the biggest challenge:

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It's my fault and the players' fault [that Chelsea aren't in Europe], but the reality is that [Antonio Conte] got in his hands a situation where they have time to work, time to rest, time to relax, time to disconnect, time to travel, time to have holidays, time to go to America and enjoy America for a couple of days.

They have time for all of these things, so they are in a position of privilege—the same privilege that Liverpool had a couple of years ago and they almost won the Premier League—but I don't want to say that they don't deserve credit for it.

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Blues boss Conte has guided his side to a 10-point lead at the top of the Premier League table, and they look almost certain to lift the title in May.

Mourinho's Chelsea romped to the title with 95 points in his first season in charge at Stamford Bridge, and he also lifted the Serie A trophy at the first attempt when he joined Inter Milan in 2008.

The Special One's struggles last season, which saw him relieved of his duties at Chelsea, led to the Blues finishing in 10th place and without the UEFA Champions League or UEFA Europa League to contend with.

Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images

Meanwhile, his United side have competed in the latter, and Monday's game against the Blues comes in between two last-16 ties with FC Rostov. The Red Devils' calendar will remain fixture-heavy for the remainder of the season if they progress, particularly if they also shock Chelsea in the FA Cup.

The Europa League can pose difficulties thanks to the extra knockout tie when compared with the Champions League, while playing on Thursday nights is also far from ideal.

Football writer Liam Canning believes United will struggle on Monday as a result:

Nevertheless, Mourinho is targeting more European football next season, per BBC Radio Manchester's Bill Rice:

Indeed, Chelsea will also relish the prospect of being back in the Champions League next season.

For all the headaches European football can cause and the advantages that extra rest and preparation time can bring domestically, clubs like United and Chelsea have the resources to balance their duties and can assemble their squads accordingly.

As much as Mourinho and other managers might wish to have just one game per week, European success—in the Champions League particularly—is the pinnacle of what they can achieve, and the possibility of prestigious silverware and financial reward will always make it a worthwhile endeavour.