Former Chelsea star Alex reveals how he made Jose Mourinho 'laugh the most in his entire life'

Alex of Chelsea celebrates after scoring during the Premier League match between Chelsea and Arsenal at Stamford Bridge on October 3, 2010 in London, United Kingdom.
(Image credit: Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

Former Chelsea centre-back Alex has told FourFourTwo about the time he left boss Jose Mourinho in stitches.

The ex-Brazil international spent four-and-a-half years with the Blues, winning the 2009/10 Premier League title under Carlo Ancelotti.

But he did briefly play under Mourinho, towards the end of his first spell in charge at Stamford Bridge.

And, in a 'Players' Lounge' interview for the latest issue of FFT available to buy, the man who was nicknamed 'The Tank' during his playing days recalls some good memories of his brief time working with the Portuguese tactician.

"He’s a lovely person," Alex tells FFT. "Many people still ask me if he’s a difficult coach to deal with; believe me, I have only nice words to say about him. 

"Unfortunately, we worked together for only three months. When I joined Chelsea, I had to sing in front of the whole squad; perhaps it was the day that Mourinho laughed most in his entire life. 

"I’m not a great singer. I think I chose a gospel number, but at some point Mourinho came up to the improvised stage and said, 'Enough, boy, you’re really bad'."

Alex left Chelsea – with whom he also won two FA Cups – for PSG in 2012, before going on to finish his career at AC Milan.

Tom Hancock

Tom Hancock started freelancing for FourFourTwo in April 2019 and has also written for the Premier League and Opta Analyst, among others. He supports Wycombe Wanderers and has a soft spot for Wealdstone. A self-confessed statto, he has been known to watch football with a spreadsheet (or several) open...