Chelsea came out as victors in the 2015 League Cup final, beating their arch-nemesis Tottenham Hotspur 2-0.
Going into the game, though, plenty of Chelsea supporters would have been worried.
Tottenham had beaten Chelsea 5-3 a couple of months earlier, while Jose Mourinho was without Nemanja Matic and John Obi Mikel for the final, his two main defensive midfielders.
It resulted in the Special One doing something that he absolutely hates, but it ultimately worked and helped the Blues to claim their fifth League Cup trophy.
Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images
Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images
Jose Mourinho asked Kurt Zouma to play in midfield
With Matic suspended and Mikel out injured, Mourinho was forced to play Kurt Zouma in the holding role.
Asking players to do something that they are not completely comfortable with is not something Mourinho is keen on. However, the 62-year-old had no choice but to start Zouma out of position in the end.
“We didn’t have Matic and Mikel in a final where it was important to keep the balance of the team,” Mourinho told ESPN and other outlets after the game. “We needed someone to do that job. We worked on it during the week and felt his confidence. That was important, knowing he was confident enough to play in that role.
“I don’t like asking players to do things they’re not ready to do, especially in a final where you have enough pressure and don’t need the extra pressure playing somewhere you are not comfortable. But he showed that confidence in the week. He did very well.”
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Chelsea managed to keep a clean sheet en route to Wembley glory, while Zouma was also able to register an assist, so things actually worked out pretty well.
All in all, the 2014/15 season proved to be a very successful one for Mourinho’s men. As well as the League Cup, Chelsea also won the title, irking Arsenal fans along the way.
Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images
Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images
Jose Mourinho did not see Kurt Zouma as a future midfielder
For as well as Zouma played in the middle of the park at Wembley that day, Mourinho never envisioned the Frenchman going on to become a successful midfielder. For the current Fenerbahce boss, he was always meant to be a defender.
“He is not going to be a midfielder,” Mourinho stated. “That is completely clear. It’s not his future.”
The League Cup was just one honour that Zouma won at Chelsea, with the 30-year-old also getting his hands on two Premier League titles and one Champions League trophy before joining West Ham United in 2021.
Costing just £12m, Zouma proved to be very good business by Chelsea. The France international was not the only bargain that Mourinho managed to land as Blues boss, though.
During his first spell at Chelsea, Mourinho also landed Michael Ballack on a free transfer, claiming that English football should have been grateful for the German legend’s arrival to the Premier League.