One of the best coaches of all-time, Jose Mourinho has declared that African players are loyal and he loves them, Softfootball reports.
The Portuguese was sacked by Fenerbahce following the club’s failure to qualify for the Champions League after they were eliminated by Benfica in the playoff and ironically employed by the latter in a dramatic twist of fate.
Jose Mourinho was a guest of Manchester United’s legend Rio Ferdinand on his official podcast Rio Meets, where he discussed the impact of African players in the teams he has coached so far. He said:
They call me daddy and some of them are almost my age. When Essien calls me daddy, I say Michael common. Too much crazy fans in Africa. I have Didier (Drogba) from Ivory Coast, Geremi from Cameroon, Samuel Eto’O from Cameroon, Kalou from Ivory Coast, John Obi Mikel from Nigeria, Sule Muntari from Ghana. I had guys from all over the world and everytime I go to Africa, it’s a road block, I cannot walk, the guys love me. Even in Europe with many African guys, people really love me. And to be honest, I love the guys and I feel that the African player is very loyal and very pure.
Mourinho felt excited at Benfica after his debut and claimed that no club ever made him feel that way. The fans of his former clubs may disagree especially Chelsea fans where he named himself the ‘special one.’
Here is the video as posted by the official Rio Meets podcast. Watch below.
@rioferdinandpresents Jose Mourinho describes managing ‘very loyal’ legends of African football Head to @Rio Ferdinand Meets Jose Mourinho for the full interview 🎧🎥 #rioferdinand #football #soccer #josemourinho #afcon
♬ original sound – Rio Ferdinand Presents
Mourinho has had two spells as manager of Benfica. A brief initial period in 2000 and his current ongoing tenure which began in September 2025. His initial managerial role at Benfica lasted just three months (September 2000 – December 2000) due to a contract dispute following a change in club presidency.
Jose Mourinho returned to Benfica in September 2025, 25 years after his first spell. This current spell includes being unbeaten in his first 10 matches across all competitions at one point. His overall record for the 2025/2026 season so far is a work in progress.
