Playing down the suggestion that it would "be sweeter to beat'' a Villas-Boas team, Mourinho pointed out he has coached on the greatest club stages against the greatest club coaches. "I played a Champions League final against a club where the manager (Bayern Munich's Louis van Gaal in 2010) was somebody very important in my career, somebody that gave me the chance to grow up and teach me so many things, and I had to play against him in a Champions League final. And I did it in a professional way. He did it in a professional way. That's the way you have to do it."
As to whether Villas-Boas owed him some credit for his progress, Mourinho replied: "I have no idea. Ask him, not me. It's not my problem. I had so many assistants in my career. I was always an open book to all of them. I'm trying to do the same now with Chris Jones, Steve Holland, people who are working with me for the first time. I try to be an open book for the coaches in the academy. I am an open book. If they want to read the book or not, it's their problem, not mine."
He would always accept any post-match hospitality although not on Saturday as Villas-Boas is leaving straight after the game to attend Porto's 120th anniversary dinner. "When people invite me, I always go,'' said Mourinho of managerial post-match etiquette. "I never refused in the Premier League when an opposition manager invited me."
Juan Mata will be involved in the match-day squad against Spurs, having impressed Mourinho with his contribution in the Capital One Cup win over Swindon. Mourinho had called on Mata to contribute more when Chelsea don't have possession. "I liked it,'' said Mourinho. "His attitude was very good. He made a big effort to come in my direction, so the only thing I can do is go in his direction too. He was not selected against Fulham and I can imagine that, from now, if he keeps working that way and adapting to my way of thinking about the football I want him to play, the natural tendency is for him to be in the team."
Marco van Ginkel's surgery on his cruciate injury "went well" according to Mourinho. "The doctor is happy with the way the surgery was made. But now he has to wait, and he has to wait for a long time. It's very sad for a kid who was going into an important season for his development and evolution, but that's football. He's in good hands.''
Mourinho was clearly unimpressed with the decision to stage Chelsea's Capital One Cup fourth-round tie with Arsenal on Tuesday Oct 29 for broadcasting and Met Police reasons - so soon after their Premier League game with Manchester City on Sunday Oct 27. "The under-21 team will have a very good experience in the Capital One Cup,'' said Mourinho. "I have to prioritise. The league is more important.''
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