Midfielder Mesut Ozil, who recently retired, considers Jose Mourinho the best coach of his career. According to Ozil, it was Mourinho who was the deciding factor in the player’s decision in the summer of 2010 to move from Werder Bremen to Real Madrid, and not Barcelona.
“For me, Jose Mourinho is the best coach of this century. His tactical understanding is on another level, but so is the way he talks in the dressing room and the way he always defends his team in front of the media. He is truly a world class coach.
I chose Real Madrid because of him. He gave me a tour of the stadium and showed me all the trophies won by the club. The visit to Barcelona was less exciting and what was more disappointing was that Pep Guardiola didn’t even bother to meet me.
Before this trip, I really liked Barcelona’s style and could really imagine playing for them. So Jose Mourinho was the most important factor in my decision,” Ozil told Marca.