Jose Mourinho has proven his ability to incorporate magnificent players into a system and build wonderful teams.
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However, he has also demonstrated a propensity for axing, isolating and exiling those who don’t appeal to his taste or fit into his system.
There have been numerous examples of players who have been jettisoned by the coach despite starring under previous management or ostensibly having the qualities to succeed under the Portuguese great.
In this feature we look at seven stars whose careers took a major hit due to their association with Mourinho.
Are there any other Mourinho casualties we’ve forgotten? Comment below and let us know!
Lass
Mourinho made Claude Makelele the lynchpin of his Chelsea time from the base of midfield, but didn’t fancy doing the same with Lassana Diarra—a player who had previously played for the coach at Chelsea.
Diarra was no Makelele, but he was still a talented and versatile option who suffered when Sami Khedira was brought to the Bernabeu.
He was transfer listed in 2010 and sold two years later, with competition for places in the midfield getting the better of him.
Andre Schurrle
Andre Schurrle’s World Cup-winners medal seemingly didn’t matter to Mourinho, and the German was offloaded in February 2015.
He returned to Wolfsburg for a princely sum of £22 million, having not been to the Portuguese coach’s liking.
Quite what the former Bayer Leverkusen man did wrong is anyone’s guess!
Mohamed Salah
Mourinho’s decision to use a small squad with little rotation this season cost several players, but it hit Salah harder than most.
The Egyptian was offloaded—on loan—to Fiorentina in January, with Juan Cuadrado moving in the opposite direction.
It remains to be seen who will have the last laugh. The former Basel man has been in excellent form in Serie A over the last few months—scoring four and contributing an assist in 12 Serie A appearances having only featured for half an hour in the league for the Pensioners before his move.
However, it looks unlikely that the 22-year-old has a future at Stamford Bridge as long as Mourinho remains at the club.
Kaka
While one Galactico bought in the summer of 2009 became one of Real Madrid’s greatest-ever players, the other became one of their greatest-ever flops.
Cristiano Ronaldo, of course, improved under Mourinho, becoming a ruthless goal-scorer.
Kaka, by contrast, declined, and while injuries played their part, the Milan great was freezed out by Mourinho.
He currently plays in Major League Soccer, for new franchise Orlando City SC.
Iker Casillas
Mourinho’s long-running spat with Iker Casillas was one of the ugliest episodes in Real Madrid’s recent history.
Nicknamed ‘Saint Iker’ by the club’s fans, the captain was considered un-droppable, but Mourinho did just that, replacing him with Antonio Adan and then Diego Lopez in the 12-13 season.
The rift was never healed, with Andres Iniesta later criticising the coach for his decision.
Nuri Sahin
Where did it all go wrong for Nuri Sahin?
The Turkish midfielder looked like a superstar at Borussia Dortmund, inspiring the club to the Bundesliga title in 2011 before moving to Real Madrid.
He may have won the Liga BBVA title in 2012, but despite claiming he was keen to play under Jose Mourinho, he barely featured for Real—making only four appearances before being loaned out to Liverpool.
Injuries played their part, for sure, but the coach never truly showed any faith in the talented playmaker.
Juan Mata
The playmaker was offloaded to Manchester United in January 2014, only six months after Mourinho’s return to Chelsea.
At the time, Pensioners fans questioned the decision—after all, the Spaniard was a terrace favourite and a two-time Chelsea player of the year.
Mourinho was never happy with Mata’s defensive contribution or his work rate, and must have been delighted to have replenished the coffers with over £37 million from his sale.