Jose Mourinho wasn’t always a likeable figure during his time as Manchester United manager.
The legendary Portuguese manager has always been a divisive figure in football and there were several Manchester United players who didn’t always get on well with him.
Jose Mourinho was heavily critical of Luke Shaw at Old Trafford, and once even took credit for his performance, saying: “it was his body with my brain”.
Paul Pogba also clashed with Mourinho after deciding to rejoin United in 2016 to work with him. Jose Mourinho once confronted Pogba at Carrington which led to a frosty relationship between the pair.
While some players played their best football under Mourinho, others such as Henrikh Mkhitaryan struggled to adapt to his demands.
Photo credit should read OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images
Photo credit should read OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images
Henrikh Mkhitaryan on his Man United struggles
When United signed Mkhitaryan in 2016, they were signing one of Europe’s brightest creative sparks.
At Borussia Dortmund, Mkhitaryan scored 41 goals and provided 49 assists. Mats Hummels raved about Mkhitaryan during their time as teammates, but his form drastically decreased after moving to Manchester.
As per the Daily Mail, Mkhitaryan said he found life “very hard” under Mourinho at United.
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“I never regret my decisions,” Mkhitaryan said. “It was very hard but I learned a lot as well. I learned how to defend, how to help the team. It was not only about scoring goals and making assists.”
He did win three trophies under the Portuguese manager and scored in the 2017 Europa League final against Ajax.
But a record of 13 goals in 63 appearances as a United player tells the story of a failed transfer. Mkhitaryan left Old Trafford in 2018.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan is now chasing a ninth league title
Mkhitaryan failed to win a league title at Manchester United, but he did lift the Europa League, League Cup and Community Shield.
Those three cups joined his impressive trophy cabinet, and it could grow even larger this season.
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Mkhitaryan has already won eight league titles across his playing career – including four in Armenia, three in Ukraine and the 2023/24 Serie A title.
Still at Inter Milan, Mkhitaryan is now chasing another league title in Italy. Inter Milan sit at the top of the Serie A table – three points clear of Scott McTominay’s Napoli with nine games remaining.