South American says Jose Mourinho ‘doesn’t need to prove’ himself at Tottenham

Jose Mourinho has increasingly divided opinion in recent years. His spell at Manchester United had various ups and downs, and doubts were expressed about whether he’s still one of the best managers in the world.

There hasn’t yet been enough time to judge him at Tottenham, but if he gets the club into next season’s Champions League then it certainly suggests he still knows what he’s doing.

Carlos Humberto Paredes worked with the manager at FC Porto, and has clearly remained a big fan. Now 43 years of age, the former Paraguay international has retired, and looking back on his career for a TV interview, Mourinho came into the discussion.

Paredes was asked about the manager and how he’s getting on so far at Tottenham, with NapoliMagazine quoting him as saying: “Mourinho has done great things in every team he has been at, he doesn’t need to prove his qualities, I consider him among the five most successful coaches in the world. I have worked with him and he is a specialist in mental training. Technically we are all good, but it is not easy to keep the cognitive aspect high even in training sessions.”

Spurs players will need all the mental conditioning their leader can give them as they look to restart the season later this month. The club’s first match is fittingly against Manchester United, and the result is likely to play a big role in deciding who qualifies for the Champions League.