Jose Mourinho: Tottenham head coach says Champions League qualification would be best achievement

Saturday 22 February 2020 14:11, UK

Tottenham head coach Jose Mourinho says securing Champions League qualification with their current injury issues would be his best achievement.

Mourinho will lead his squad, depleted by injuries to Harry Kane and Heung-Min Son, against Chelsea on Saturday at Stamford Bridge where he won three league titles.

The two-time Champions League winner previously said leading Manchester United to a second-place finish in the Premier League in 2017/18 was one of the greatest accomplishments of his managerial career.

But when asked whether a top-four finish would better that, Mourinho said. "In these circumstances, yes.

"This season was so negatively special that we are going to be without them both at the same time for a lot of matches. [It won't be] for my achievement, [but] collectively the team, for this group of boys.

"If we manage to finish fourth without Harry and Sonny it will be something incredible, an incredible achievement for the boys so we have to give everything."

Tottenham could move two points above their bitter rivals with victory, with the 57-year-old boss having succeeded Mauricio Pochettino in November when they were 12 points behind the final spot in the top-four race.

Mourinho insists his return to Stamford Bridge to face his former employers is not "special" and just "one more game".

When pressed for his reasoning, Mourinho added: "Because I am a professional, because as I said every time I played against my previous clubs I belong 100 per cent to my club and that is it.

"The only different thing will be at the end of the game I can walk from the stadium to the house. Even that I will not take advantage of because I will come back with my players.

"Even for something that will be an advantage for me I am not going to use that as an advantage."

The fixture will also see Mourinho come up against Chelsea counterpart Frank Lampard, who enjoyed great success under him.

"Seeing him is always nice," he said. "If I meet him in the street, if I meet him in a restaurant, if I meet him in a corridor of a football stadium even as an opponent is always nice but [it is] not special to play his team."

"It is not against him. It is my team against his team. Nothing special."

Chelsea counterpart Lampard is struggling to maintain his side's place in the top four after one win in six Premier League games as Spurs and Mourinho seek to regain a measure of revenge after their defeat at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in December.

Asked what reception he expected from the Chelsea supporters, Mourinho replied: "The usual!"