Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho: Why England is paradise for me

Jose Mourinho has described living in England as “paradise” for football managers – because of the privacy he is afforded in his private life.

The Portuguese coach returned to take over at Chelsea for a second spell in the summer of 2013 after spending time in charge of Inter Milan and Real Madrid.

It’s paradise because of the social life

Jose Mourinho

Mourinho, however, says that he feels more comfortable in London than any other place he has worked because the public and media are not as intrusive as in other European cities.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Sports Illustrated, Mourinho said: “It’s paradise because of the social life.

“In Europe, the power of football makes our social lives complicated.

“In England, people have this profile of looking at us in a very normal way. You can walk in the street, you can shop with your family, you can go to a restaurant… The social life is much more relaxed.

“I used to say that in England, the real passion for the game lasts 90 minutes, and after that, everything is calm.”

Mourinho’s Chelsea are currently five points clear at the top of the Premier League table and are aiming to win their first piece of silverware this season when they take on Tottenham in Sunday’s League Cup final at Wembley.

Mourinho led Chelsea to back-to-back Premier League titles in 2004-05 and 2005-06 but the Blues have not won the top-flight crown since 2010.