Mourinho on His Picture with Pep and Enrique: We Didn't Think About Coaching Then, and Today We Are All Champions League Winners

Media outlets and social media circulated a famous photo from Barcelona's training sessions in the late 1990s, featuring José Mourinho, Pep Guardiola, and Luis Enrique. At that time, the Portuguese coach was working as an assistant to Bobby Robson, while Guardiola and Luis Enrique were star players on the field.

When asked about that picture, Mourinho recalled, "Yes, at that time I was a young assistant, and they were just players. None of us were thinking about coaching back then."

He added: "Today we are all winners of the UEFA Champions League and have reached where we are." The Portuguese coach also praised his former teammates' abilities, stating: "I knew that Pep was a very intelligent player and reads the game in an excellent way."

He continued: "Lewis was also a natural leader and motivator, but at that time we were only focused on doing our job in the best way possible."

Over the years, that image has become one of the most famous in the world of football, featuring three of the most prominent coaches in the history of the modern game.

Mourinho, Pep Guardiola, and Luis Enrique have all won the UEFA Champions League title as managers, after their joint journey began within the walls of Barcelona nearly three decades ago.