It’s apprentice versus master
BRENDAN Rodgers is out to prove it’s now he who has the X factor as the apprentice tries to beat the master in a battle of minds with Jose Mourinho.
Leicester City’s Europa Conference League semi-final first leg sees former Chelsea, Manchester United and Spurs boss Mourinho bring his Roma side to England, with two excolleagues hoping to mastermind victory for their club from the dugouts at the King Power Stadium.
Rodgers arguably made his name as a coach while working with the academy and reserves at Chelsea during Mourinho’s first tenure at Stamford Bridge.
The Portuguese manager had plucked him from Reading and handed him the role of head youth coach following a recommendation.
Nearly 20 years on from when they first worked together, Rodgers still holds Mourinho in the highest esteem.
But tonight they will be going head to head, and Rodgers will hope for a repeat of their last meeting, when City beat Tottenham 2-0 in December 2020.
It was the first time in eight attempts that Rodgers had triumphed over Mourinho.
“Roma have got a great manager and fantastic players so we have to be at our best over two games to reach the final,” Rodgers told his pre-match press conference.
“There’s a lot been said about Jose Mourinho over many years.
“He is one of great managers and has nothing ever to prove to anyone.
“He is a winner and will always be a winner. And will only want to prove it to himself.
“He is such a special manager and one of the greats of our generation.
“When I was a young coach I looked at all managers I worked with and I would assimilate as much of their work and learn and study.
“Jose, back in 2004 when I joined Chelsea, he had just joined in the summer, Jose was the guy everyone wanted to be like.
“Everything back then was all about the players but Jose came into the UK as a European champion and everyone wanted to be like Jose Mourinho.
“It gave young coaches hope they could have that charisma and quality.
“When people asked me about him, what’s he like? He just had the X factor.
“It wasn’t one single thing, he was brilliant in so many aspects. He was detail-oriented, his man-management with players, understanding of tactical adaptations in the game and how to promote it with players.
“He had a special quality that I was able to see in formative years and how he could bring people along with him. I have nothing but admiration.
“I then became a manager in my own right and then it’s more distant as you are busy in work, but I’ll never forget what I gained as a young coach.
“I studied him and was in pole position for that time which was a special period at Chelsea.”
Aside from the 2-0 win in December 2020, Rodgers has only faced Mourinho on one other occasion as City boss, when Spurs beat them 3-0 in the penultimate match of the 2019-20 campaign.
The pair’s most famous meeting was when Liverpool were going for the title in 2014.
Chelsea dealt them a huge blow when Demba Ba profited from Steven Gerrard’s slip to score.
That game was played at Anfield eight years ago yesterday.
RODGERS HOPES TO PROVE TO MOURINHO HE NOW HAS THE