Jose Mourinho: Premier League is the most difficult in the world

After winning back-to-back titles with Chelsea in the middle of the last decade, the Portuguese has deemed the Premier League the most difficult title in the world.

INDIANAPOLIS -- Jose Mourinho has coached in four of the world's biggest leagues, so when he speaks about which one is the most difficult to win, his words carry some weight.

Not only has the 50-year-old coached in four different leagues, but he's won titles in all four as well, earning silverware in Portugal with Porto, in England with Chelsea, in Italy with Inter, and in Spain with Real Madrid.

Mourinho, now back managing Chelsea, offered some perspective on the current European landscape following his team's 2-0 win over Inter in the Guinness International Champions Cup.

“I think the Premier League is the most difficult because there are more teams that can be champions,” he said in his post-game press conference.

The Portuguese manager then went on to list the number of teams he felt were capable of winning titles in each of the top European leagues at the present moment.

“In Spain there are only two," Mourinho said. "in Portugal there are two, in France there is one. Italy, right now I don't know but when I was there, there were three. Germany [there are] two, and in England I think there are five. For this reason it's a very difficult championship.”

Presumably, The Special One was referring to Real Madrid and Barcelona in Spain, Porto and Benfica in Portugal, Paris Saint-Germain in France, and Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich in Germany.

With the exception of France, where nouveau riche PSG recently bolted ahead of its competition, the last outlier in any of the leagues mentioned to win a title was Wolfsburg, which won the Bundesliga in 2008-09.
In England, it's slightly less cut and dry, but the presumed top five includes Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham.

Mourinho's Chelsea side starts its quest for the team's first EPL title since 2009-10 when it takes on Hull City on Aug. 18. For Mourinho, it can't come soon enough.

“I don't like friendlies that much,” he said. “I like serious games much more.”