Andre Villas-Boas has hailed former boss and mentor, Jose Mourinho, as the “best coach of all time”.
The Tottenham Hotspur manager, worked with his compatriot as an assistant at FC Porto, Chelsea and Inter Milan, before he began his career in management.
“Mourinho is perhaps the best coach of all time”, he told Brazilian newspaper Lancenet.
“[Working with Mourinho] was a unique experience. It’s difficult to find someone with so much professionalism, dedication and knowledge of the game.
“Luckily, he saw in me a good professional in the studying of matches and of opponents. It was a privilege to work with him and learn his training methods.”
The 35-year-old was also quick to dismiss comparisons, between himself and Mourinho.
“They’re made by people outside the game,” he added. “We’re not concerned with seeming like anybody or working with anybody. We might have ways of leading which people could think are similar, but it’s not imitation. I’m not worried about that.”
Villas-Boas also acknowledged the impact Sir Bobby Robson had on his career, as he tried to find his feet.
“He lived in my building and I was a Porto fan,” he said. “So I started to talk to him about the players and he told me, very friendlily, that he’s let me come to the training sessions. That’s when my passion for the game and the tactics started.
“He was crucial in my choice of vocation. I started to do a course and train the youngest. Those are times I remember very fondly.”
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