‘He is a bipolar coach’ – What it's like to work for Jose Mourinho as Roma defender Roger Ibanez lifts the lid

Jose Mourinho is renowned for being a larger-than-life character, with Roma defender Roger Ibanez admitting that the Portuguese is a bipolar coach.

The former Porto, Chelsea, Inter, Real Madrid and Manchester United manager has enjoyed tangible success just about everywhere he has been – with a spell at Tottenham offering a rare blot on his copybook. The enigmatic 60-year-old is famed for his man-management skills and forging an “us against the world” mentality within any squad that he pieces together. He has, however, never been afraid of airing an opinion either – be that to those at his disposal, match officials or rival bosses – and Ibanez concedes that working under the most mercurial of managers is an interesting experience.

Ibanez has told Rede Atlantida: It is fantastic to experience him day after day. I think he is a bipolar coach, in that one day he laughs and jokes with you, then the next you can’t even speak to him.

Ibanez has spent the last two years working with Mourinho in Rome and could see him take the reins of the Brazil national side at some stage in the future. The 24-year-old defender, who has two caps for the Selecao to his name, said of the rumours linking Mourinho with a prominent post in South America: I think he would adapt very easily, but only he knows what the future holds.

Mourinho, who has been stung with touchline bans by UEFA and Serie A ahead of the 2023-24 campaign, still has a year left to run on his contract at Roma – a side he guided to Europa Conference League glory in 2022 and to the Europa League final in 2023.