Chelsea legend John Terry has revealed how former manager Jose Mourinho once obtained footage of Bolton’s training session to gain a tactical advantage over the Premier League side.
Terry said the incident happened in 2005 when Mourinho was managing Chelsea and Bolton were coached by Sam Allardyce.
According to the former England defender, Chelsea players were shown a recording of a Bolton training session in which Allardyce was heard instructing his players on how to target Chelsea defender William Gallas.
Speaking to talkSPORT, Terry recalled his surprise at seeing the footage and questioned how Mourinho had obtained it.
“We were watching a video, and suddenly Sam Allardyce appeared in Bolton’s training, saying: hit Gallas, he’s not good in the air. He was spitting and talking in that way through the microphone. It was like, my goodness, who gets footage from someone’s training ground? I still don’t know where Mourinho got this footage!”
Terry said Mourinho used the information to help Chelsea prepare for their league encounter with Bolton, with the Blues eventually securing a 5 1 victory.
The result contributed to Chelsea’s successful Premier League title campaign that season.
Terry also reflected emotionally on Mourinho’s departure from Chelsea, admitting that he still feels a sense of responsibility over the circumstances surrounding the manager’s exit.
“I would leave that pitch in a coffin for him. You’ve got grown men, tears running down their face, not really understanding why. And even still today I’m like, that’s my fault. When we drew the Champions League game, my man scored. If I didn’t let that person score, would he have lasted another couple of years? Who knows?”
“I still feel kind of responsible for that, if that makes sense. It’s just disappointing how it all ended, if I’m honest. I absolutely loved him and adored him and was more upset than anyone, to be honest.”
Mourinho left Chelsea in 2007 following a disagreement with then club owner Roman Abramovich.
The Portuguese manager later returned to Stamford Bridge in 2013 after his spell at Real Madrid, but his second stint ended after two and a half seasons when he was dismissed by the club.
