Jose Mourinho was unveiled as Tottenham’s new manager on Thursday following his appointment earlier this week.
He spoke for around 40 minutes in his first press conference at the club’s training ground ahead of Saturday’s visit to West Ham.
A wide range of issues were discussed and here, the PA news agency takes a look at the best of what Mourinho said.
On Mauricio Pochettino
“I have to congratulate him for the work he did. This club will always be his home, this training ground will always be his training ground, he can come when he wants, when he misses the players, when he misses the people he worked with, the door is always open for him. From my experience, tomorrow is another day and he will find happiness again. He will find a great club again, and he will have a great future.”
On his return to management
“This is my life, and this is where I belong and this is what really makes me happy. I am not smiling as much today because I have a game in two days and not a lot of time to work, but deep inside I am really, really happy. Every minute I spend in the club I realise that my decision was correct. I am really enjoying a big football club with a big structure and a great organisation where I am really more focused on my job, on my coaching, on my players and my team and I am not worried at all with everything that surrounds me.”
On his Chelsea links
I’m not Chelsea, I’m not Manchester United and I’m not Real Madrid, I’m not Inter. I am all of them and I give everything to all of them and that’s what I’m going to do here, give absolutely everything I have. I am not Chelsea. I am not Chelsea, United, Inter, I am all of them. I give everything to all of them and that is what I am going to do here. To give absolutely everything I have. So Chelsea is the past, a great past, two periods, two periods with titles. But it’s the past.
On how his break has changed him
“I had time. I think I am stronger. From an emotional point of view I’m relaxed, I’m motivated, I’m ready and I think the players they felt that in these two days. They felt that I’m ready. I’m ready to support them. This is not about me. It’s about my club, my club’s fans, my players, it’s not about me. I’m just here to try to help everyone. I am humble. I am humble enough to try to analyse, which is what I did, to try to analyse my career. Manchester last year, to analyse my career, the problems and the solutions. I was humble enough for that.”
On his January transfer plans
“I don’t need players. I don’t need players. I am so happy with what I have. I just need time to understand them better and know everything about them because I always say you only know a player when you work with them. Of course how many times have I watched these guys, how many times have I played against them? I knew them well but never know them well enough until you work with them and my gift is this squad because the squad is very, very good.”
On his plans for the contract rebels
It is too early. Early days. I have no time for individual cases. I don’t know how I can influence or try to influence. I did not have time. Mr Levy did not have time to go around this. The first thing is for the players to feel good and if they are going to leave in January, if they are going to leave in June, or if they are going to sign a new contract, I think everything has to be based on feeling good. And to feel good is to be ready for Saturday. To be there and available for the team.
On his time at Manchester United
“I went to Manchester United with a free mind and a free heart. Manchester United occupied my heart even with things that I didn’t enjoy too much. I loved so much about Manchester United, the fans, the people that worked in the club, I love it.”
On his intended plans for the squad
“I don’t want to make big changes. I want to respect the base and the base is the work they did for five and a half years. It’s not the work they did for two days. The work we did for two days we hope that is a plus. We hope that is an update. Not a change. The base is what they did before. This is not about me. This is not about me coming here and saying everything was wrong with Mauricio, not at all. Not at all.”
