REAL MADRID COACH Jose Mourinho said today that he would prefer to be known as the “unique one” rather than the “special one” as a result of his achievements.

“I’m the only one to have won the three biggest championships in the world,” Mourinho said in an interview on Portuguese television channel Sic.

“So whether it pleases or not, if one recognises my value or not… people should may be call me ‘unique’ rather than ‘special’ until someone else wins three championships like me.”

It was Mourinho who proclaimed himself to be the “special one” when he was coach of English Premier League side Chelsea from 2004 to 2007.

The Portuguese coach joined Real Madrid in 2010 and won the Primera Liga title in his second season to become one of the few coaches to win titles in four different countries — Portugal, England, Italy and Spain.

He and Ottmar Hotzfeld are the only coaches to have won two Champions League titles with two different clubs — FC Porto in 2004 and Inter Milan in 2010, in Mourinho’s case.. He coached FC Porto (Portuguese champions 2003, 2004 and Champions League winners 2004), Chelsea (English Premier League title 2005, 2006) and Inter Milan (Serie A champions in 2009, 2010).

The 49-year-old said he felt “an enormous joy at Inter Milan” when they won their titles but insisted that his goals were shifting with age.

“I’m turning increasingly towards people,” he said. “That’s what motivates me more and more, instead of pursuing individaul goals.”

- © AFP, 2012

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