Zimpapers Logo

LONDON. — Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho was full of his usual wit and humour after being honoured with the English Premier League Manager of the Year award.

The Blues secured their first League title in five years, and Mourinho’s third in his second stint at the helm, as the Portuguese coach received the annual accolade for the English Premier League’s best coach, complementing Belgian attacker Eden Hazard, who was voted Player of the Year.

The former Real Madrid boss described his award as the “icing on the cake”, yet feels the “cake” itself is the more important prize.

“It is, as you like to say in England, the icing on the cake, but the cake is more important than the icing,” the 52-year-old told Sky Sports.

“The cake is the Premier League, the cake is the objective of the manager, of the technical staff, of the squad, of the club, of the millions of supporters, and I work for the cake, I don’t work for this.

“If, at the top of the cake, I am the manager of the season, obviously I am very happy with that.”

Mourinho beat Southampton’s Ronald Koeman, Leicester’s Nigel Pearson, Swansea’s Garry Monk and Arsenal’s Arsene Wenger to the award, as he maintains his focus on next year’s “cake”.

“The problem in football is that you are eating one cake and you are still thinking about the next one,” he said.

“This is permanent.

“So I enjoy this cake very, very much, I have missed it for a while because the last one was in the 2005/06.

“But to go back to England and win it again is a fantastic feeling.”

Mourinho will receive a third Premier League winners’ medal tomorrow, but the Chelsea manager is not feeling so charitable this time — meaning no surprise souvenir for a lucky fan at Stamford Bridge.

After claiming a second English title in 2006 following a 3-0 win against Manchester United, Mourinho launched his medal and blazer into the crowd.

Chelsea host Sunderland in their final game of the season tomorrow where they will be presented with the Premier League trophy for the first time since 2010.

“My son now is collecting all my stuff,” the Portuguese told a news conference yesterday. “He keeps everything.’’

“At that time (2006) he was too young, but in this moment he is collecting everything. Shirts, medals — he steals everything from me.”

Mourinho was named Premier League manager of the season for the third time following previous triumphs in 2005 and 2006.

“I was not waiting for it, I was never manager of the month, but I’m happy with it,” he said.

“It’s a club trophy, not an individual one. It’s for me, my assistants, my players, everybody who works with me. It’s something you don’t just get by yourself.”

Forward Hazard, who has played in all 37 of Chelsea’s league fixtures, is unlikely to feature against Sunderland after undergoing emergency dental surgery on Wednesday to have three wisdom teeth removed.

Goalkeeper Petr Cech is struggling with a muscle injury but Mourinho said the 33-year-old, who could leave at the end of the season after being used as back-up to Thibaut Courtois, will play some part against Sunderland.

Young defender Andreas Christensen and 18-year-old attacking midfielder Jeremie Boga will be given a taste of first team action. — AFP.