AVB opens up on his special link to Jose

Andre Villas-Boas has lifted the lid on his relationship with Jose Mourinho and revealed why he thinks he failed in his short managerial spell at Chelsea.

The Tottenham coach, who comes face-to-face with his former colleague Mourinho when Chelsea visit White Hart Lane tomorrow, also admitted he was tempted to join Paris Saint-Germain last summer.

The Portuguese has made an impressive start to the new season with Spurs top of the table ahead of the crunch reunion with Mourinho.

“I’m completely different to him in terms of personality, way of working and communication. We have different philosophies,” said Villas-Boas.

Speaking to French newspaper L’Equipe, Villas-Boas explained that a lack of progress under Mourinho is why the pair parted company when at Inter Milan.

“I was not his number two. I was part of his staff but never his assistant. It is one of the reasons we separated,” Villas-Boas said.

“I decided to break free and think about my career, which was not difficult. I always wanted to be a coach, so when I finally started, I was very happy. Behind every step I took, that was the ambition. So I’m proud I achieved that.”

But it was not so easy for him at Chelsea, where in Villas-Boas, aged 33 when he took the job, lasted six months in charge.

“Chelsea was an experience for me because it allowed me to understand there are some things I have no power to do. I had a direction and I wanted the team to follow. But I did not have enough support to follow it: at Chelsea, I treated everyone the same. But for a decision to stick, you need the support of the club, and you do not always get that. At Porto, I did.

“But it is a matter of dynamics: if you win at the weekend, the leaders will follow you. Chelsea is under the media spotlight so you were quickly under pressure. I wasn’t too young for the job: I made the decision to go there when I felt ready for it. It was an experience. It made me very strong. I failed, that’s true. I had to win and I failed. Was it mission impossible? Maybe...”

Villas-Boas also fell short last season as Spurs narrowly finished out of the top four after a poor run of form in March and April. But it did not stop the coach being approached to replace Carlo Ancelotti as boss PSG.

“That PSG approached me was made public. But I wanted to remain a second year at Tottenham, carrying on the work of the past season, to have two seasons at the same club for the first time in my career,” said Villas-Boas. “The club has backed me on several points, taking for example, a technical director in Franco Baldini. I wanted to continue the project here. Was I tempted? Yes, if other people like how you coach, it’s flattering. But Tottenham is a very big club.”