Mourinho: Iran deserve World Cup place, Materazzi ‘might get mad’ at my Zidane claim | OneFootball

José Mourinho insists Iran deserve to play at the World Cup, which Portugal can win, and feels Zinedine Zidane embodied the concept of elegance: ‘Marco Materazzi might get mad at me…’

Former Inter and Roma coach Mourinho gave a long interview to Sport Week, discussing his life and career.

Ex-Roma star Nicolò Zaniolo once described Mou as a ‘master’, saying the Portuguese tactician could almost perfectly predict what would happen during matches.

Mourinho predicted Zaniolo’s winning goal in Conference League Final

“Almost,” Mou replied, smiling.

“One thing I had predicted and actually happened was that Zaniolo would score the decisive goal in the Conference League Final between my Roma side and Feyenoord.”

During the same interview, Mourinho admitted that he’d leave Inter for Real Madrid again and was then asked to name a player who “embodies the concept of elegance.”

“The first name that comes to mind is Zinedine Zidane,” Mourinho said.

“Marco Materazzi might get mad at me for saying it, but watching Zizou play was pure beauty.”

When asked about his favourite city as a coach, Mou replied: “The most important thing is to be with the people I love. It could even be the Sahara Desert. To me, anyway, the most beautiful city in the world is Rome.”

Lastly, the Benfica tactician spoke about the upcoming World Cup as well: “Portugal can do anything. They have an incredible generation. They won the Nations League a year ago. We won the Euros in 2016, and this generation is technically superior to that team. Of course, there is Carletto Ancelotti’s Brazil, Argentina, but Portugal can win this World Cup.”

Roma coach Jose Mourinho reacts from the technical area during the Italian Serie A football match between Juventus and Roma at the Allianz Stadium in Turin, on December 30, 2023. (Photo by Isabella BONOTTO / AFP) (Photo by ISABELLA BONOTTO/AFP via Getty Images)

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has confirmed Iran’s participation in the competition, yet there are still doubts on whether they’ll actually take part in the tournament due to the ongoing tensions in the Middle East.

Donald Trump’s Special Envoy, Paolo Zampolli, has been reiterating that Italy should replace Iran if they don’t show up for the World Cup in June.

“One thing is politics, one is sport,” Mourinho concluded.

“The Iranian players who have qualified for the World Cup, which will involve too many teams, deserve to play it.”