In a 2018 interview, Lukaku once confirmed that coach José Mourinho was the “great love” of his life. The Belgian striker has publicly stated that if The Special One tells him to throw himself into a wall, he will do so without hesitation.
No wonder Lukaku loves Mourinho so much. The Portuguese coach has managed him twice before, once for a short spell at Chelsea and another during a pleasant but turbulent time at Manchester United.
Mourinho once actively kicked Lukaku out of Chelsea after only a few games, creating an opportunity for him to play rather than score goals. But then it was he who brought the Belgian striker to Old Trafford. Then, in a year and a half at Manchester United under coach Mourinho, he scored a total of 33 goals and cleaned up teammates 11 times.
After Mourinho was sacked by the leader of the Manchester team, Lukaku was also sent to the streets. The 30-year-old Belgian star is like a ball tossed between Inter and Chelsea to be reunited with a respected teacher. It is known that because of the determination to move to Roma, along with Mourinho, Lacucu volunteered to cut his salary by almost half.
Just a few weeks ago, manager Mourinho also publicly criticized Chelsea for not knowing how to use Lukaku. He confirmed that the Belgian international is a great striker, the problem is how to use him. The “special man” did not forget to send his colleague Mauricio Pochettino advice on how best to develop Lukaku’s talent.
According to Mourinho, Lukaku is a player who does not have a stable mentality. Under pressure, he often plays very inefficiently, resulting in clumsy shots, earning him the nickname “wooden legs”. Therefore, the teacher should be the one who inspires confidence in Lukaku, should always consider him as a confidant, should always speak, learn about his thoughts, feelings and share difficulties with him.
But Pochettino did not heed Mourinho’s words. The Argentine manager does not include Lukaku in his Chelsea plans for this season. He almost turned down a Belgian player. It is for the same reason that from the time Pochettino was appointed head of the London team to this day, Lukaku had little to no contact with the new teacher.
After Lukaku signaled for help, Mourinho immediately thought about saving his former student’s career. The “Special One” personally met with the leaders of Roma to convince them to return him to the Olimpico. Finally, the Portuguese coach also succeeded. The Rome team have agreed to spend 8 million euros to ensure that Chelsea take Lukaku on loan until the end of the 2023/24 season.
One could argue that a move to Roma is an opportunity for Lukaku to resurrect. Mourinho is a very good coach. Under his leadership, many strikers seem to have completed their careers brilliantly. Some names from the past can be mentioned, such as Diego Milito, Samuel Eto’o, Wesley Sneijder…
Coach Mourinho has a very interesting take on Lukaku. After the 30-year-old striker decided to join Roma, he compared the game of his student, who had been in the lead for three periods. According to the Portuguese strategist: Lukaku at Chelsea is a girl who has not yet reached puberty; in Manchester United he became a stunning beauty; and in a Romani shirt he will be like a woman in the spring.