Jose Mourinho attacks 'balding' Guardiola, 'ruinous' Benitez... and lauds 'incredible' Tony Pulis

Jose Mourinho has been asked for his opinion on some of the most high-profile managers in world football. And also about Tony Pulis.

The Chelsea manager spoke to Italy's Gazzetta dello Sport - and absolutely let rip on some of his biggest rivals, while praising certain others.

And chief among those receiving praise was former Crystal Palace and Stoke City manager Tony Pulis.

INCREDIBLE PULIS
"If I was in charge of a club, he is the first manager I would contact," said Mourinho.

"He has only ever had to coach teams who have had to survive, scrape results and find stability.

"The numbers when it comes to Tony and his record are incredible.”

THE ITALIAN MOURINHO
There is also an outpouring of praise for Italy coach Antonio Conte, with the Portuguese boss delighted when Gazzetta's interviewer told him that fans are starting to dub him 'the Italian Mourinho'.

"That is an honour for me. Antonio is someone I like a lot as a coach," said the Chelsea manager.

"He is a winner, he knows what he wants and he has great charisma."

JOSE'S BEST BUDDIES
Mourinho also praised recently-fired Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers ("One of my best friends in the footballing world") and soon-to-be-installed Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp ("He is a good friend and if he does come to the Premier League then he will be welcome.")

FORMER CHELSEA BOSSES SAVAGED
But just as we were starting to think that Mourinho might have been having a rare mellow day, Mourinho was quizzed about Rafa Benitez, Carlo Ancelotti and Claudio Ranieri.

Oh dear. Let's start with Benitez, who took over Mourinho's treble-winning Inter Milan side

“In six months he destroyed the best team in Europe," snarled Mourinho.

Ancelotti, then? Surely everybody likes him?
"In the history of the Champions League, there is only one club and one coach who were 3-0 up in the final and lost,” came the reponse.

Well what about Claudio 'Tinkerman' Ranieri, who did much of the building work for the side which Mourinho first guided to glory at Chelsea a decade ago.

"He was in England for five years and is struggling to say good morning and good afternoon," said Mourinho.

"In his 70 years he has won an Italian Supercoppa and another small cup. He is too old to change his ways.”

Ranieri is just 63, in fairness, and if he'd been there to defend himself might also have pointed out that he's also won the Coppa Italia and Copa del Rey (with Fiorentina and Valencia respectively).

But given what followed, Ranieri would probably have been better off just thanking his luck that he didn't get a worse battering.

PEP GUARDIOLA AND ARSENE WENGER, LOOK AWAY NOW
“If you love what you do, then you don’t lose your hair," muttered Mourinho.

"Look at Pep, he is becoming bald. That must mean he doesn’t like football.”

Crikey. That bitchiness about Pep Guardiola almost made his usual barb at Arsene Wenger look tame.

“We are all under pressure here in England but he is the only one who does what he wants. He wins nothing and still has a job.”

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