Jose Mourinho has identified Marco Materazzi and John Terry as the two preeminent central defenders he has had the privilege of coaching during his career.
The renowned former manager of Inter Milan, Chelsea, and Real Madrid lauded the Italian international and the English centre-back extensively.
Mourinho shared these sentiments during a video interview for MM23, an interactive publication chronicling the career of the 2006 World Cup victor.
“In my entire career, where I have managed some of the greatest players of this generation, the two best central defenders I have ever had were John Terry and Marco Materazzi,” stated Mourinho.
Mourinho famously achieved a historic treble in 2010 with Inter Milan, and Materazzi was an indispensable component of that triumphant squad, securing the Champions League, Scudetto, and Coppa Italia in the same season. He managed the Nerazzurri from 2008 to 2010.
Mourinho’s tenure with Terry at Chelsea saw the English international feature in 267 matches under his tutelage, contributing 26 goals and 11 assists. Mourinho had two separate spells at Stamford Bridge: from 2004 to 2007, and a return from 2013 to 2015.