NEWCASTLE manager Eddie Howe is eagerly anticipating facing a football legend when his team plays against Jose Mourinho’s Benfica in the Champions League on Tuesday.
This match brings Mourinho to St James’ Park, where his managerial mentor Bobby Robson remains a highly respected figure.
Portuguese manager Mourinho has collected 26 major trophies throughout his exceptional coaching career.
His impressive trophy collection includes three Premier League titles, four League Cups, one FA Cup, and the Europa League from his time with Chelsea and Manchester United.
Howe expressed no uncertainty about the former Inter Milan and Real Madrid manager’s significant impact on English football.
The 47-year-old Howe was asked during Monday’s pre-match press conference whether Mourinho should be considered an all-time great.
Howe responded that Mourinho absolutely deserves that classification based on his achievements.
He stated he was not just saying that because they were playing Benfica the next day but genuinely believed it.
Howe described Mourinho’s initial impact as incredible with a distinctive aura surrounding both him and his teams.
He noted that Mourinho’s teams were always exceptionally difficult to defeat throughout his managerial career.
Howe, who established his managerial reputation at Bournemouth, added that he remembered watching Mourinho’s teams during his early days as a head coach.
He explained that while he was developing his own coaching philosophy and playing style, Mourinho had a substantial influence on his thinking.
Howe’s first encounter with the then-Chelsea manager occurred when his newly-promoted Bournemouth won 1-0 at Stamford Bridge in December 2015.
That victory remains his only win against Mourinho throughout their managerial careers.
Howe stated that any Premier League victory is cherished regardless of the location.
He emphasized the difficulty of winning Premier League matches, particularly at that stage of his career.
Howe recalled that Chelsea were among the strongest teams in the league during that period.
He noted that those significant victories gave Bournemouth belief they could compete in the Premier League.
Howe explained that as a newly-promoted team, they needed every possible confidence boost available.
He looks back fondly on those important games from his early Premier League management days.
Howe acknowledged that Tuesday’s Champions League match presents a completely different challenge.
He described it as a different kind of experience compared to their previous Premier League encounters.
Howe reiterated his previous statement before their last Champions League game about their desperation to qualify in the competition.
He emphasized the crucial importance of their home games in the Champions League group stage.
Newcastle are looking forward to this match following their disappointing defeat against Barcelona.
Howe’s team responded to their opening loss against Barcelona with a 4-0 victory at Union Saint-Gilloise.
Benfica have lost both of their opening two Champions League fixtures against Qarabag and Chelsea. – AFP
