Mourinho Takes a Shot at Guardiola: "I Think It's a Weakness"

The three-part "Mourinho" documentary, which premiered globally on Netflix on August 11, 2026, has once again put the Portuguese coach's trademark bluntness in the spotlight. Speaking about his relationship with football in the documentary, Mourinho made clear he has never understood the concept of taking an extended break from the game. The Real Madrid head coach said: "Some guys, they need a sabbatical — which is something that I hate. I hate that word. For me, sabbatical means weakness. Don't speak with me about sabbaticals. I never need a rest. I will rest when I die."

These comments are widely being interpreted as a pointed reference to his longtime rival Pep Guardiola, who took a year away from football after leaving Barcelona in 2012 before taking charge at Bayern Munich. It's recalled that the two coaches, former colleagues at Barcelona in the late 1990s, became long-time rivals during Mourinho's first spell at Real Madrid (2010-2013) while Guardiola was in charge of Barcelona.

According to comments from documentary director Joe Pearlman to The Telegraph, he had wanted Guardiola to feature in the documentary, but only on the condition that Mourinho personally asked him — to which Mourinho reportedly responded: "Not a f*****g chance." It's noted that the 63-year-old Mourinho also addressed retirement in the documentary, saying: "I cannot even imagine when I am going to stop my life in football. I say 10 more years, but maybe more than 10. It's fun. It was, it is and will always be fun. I want to win more titles."

Source: Netflix Mourinho Documentary
Image: T24