José Mourinho criticizes the London clubs before the visit of Benfica to Newcastle, and is sincere about his relationship with his old mentor, Sir Bobby Robson

José Mourinho revealed that he spoke with the bust of Sir Bobby Robson when he entered St James’ Park on Monday, and told his Benfica players to enjoy a ‘beautiful’ environment different from London’s stadiums.

The 62-year-old coach was Robson’s assistant at FC Barcelona and had previously worked as a translator in Portugal, but he turned down the opportunity to serve as his number two at Newcastle.

However, Mourinho’s affection for Robson and the club was clear when he spoke on the eve of the Champions League party on Tuesday.

“In this stadium, people don’t come to watch the game, they come to play with the team,” Mourinho said.

This city has a totally different culture than London or the big clubs like Chelsea, Tottenham and Arsenal.

‘I love coming here to play. I have told my players, it is beautiful, there is an extraordinary atmosphere in this stadium and in this city.’

‘I had a few words with Bobby when I got back here. It’s a great emotion. When I enter here, I feel close to him,’ added Mourinho.

‘One thing it gave me was opportunities. He threw me to Barcelona. It was an incredible experience for me, and Sir Bobby opened an enormous door for me.

“The second is what I learned at the football level and at the human level. And the third is the trust he placed in me. I tried to repay him with everything I gave him. I don’t know if I managed to do it, but I tried to give him everything I had. That’s enough for me.’

José Mourinho praises the atmosphere of Newcastle – and compares it with some London clubs – before the duel against Benfica in the Champions League

The Portuguese coach had Newcastle icon Sir Bobby Robson as his mentor (pictured together in 1996).

“I worked with Sir Bobby for six years and there wasn’t a single day in which he didn’t show his passion for Newcastle, the city, the region and the football club, the pride and passion he felt for him.

“Even when I was a coach of other English clubs, I have never hidden how dear I am to Newcastle because of the influence of a legendary person in this club.”

‘Do I regret not having coached Newcastle?

“I don’t regret it because I never had the opportunity to do it, I never said ‘no’ to Newcastle United,” Mourinho said.

‘To be honest, I don’t think they need a coach now. I hope they don’t need one in the next few years, which means everything is going well for the club and for Eddie (Howe), which is what I wish.’

Said Howe: ‘He (Mourinho) is one of the best in history. I’m not saying this because we are facing him, I truly believe it. He had an aura around him and his teams. In my beginnings as a coach, I learned a lot from watching his teams.’

‘He’s someone I admire a lot, having faced him in the Premier League. When he was a coach, he admired the teams that he formed at Chelsea. He is a visionary and someone who broke the mold of how to train.’