Russia’s national team manager Fabio Capello has praised his Chelsea counterpart Jose Mourinho by saying that he should be given the manager of the year award. Mourinho recently came back to Chelsea where he had a lot of success during 2004-07. This was also the most successful period in Chelsea’s league history as they lifted two league titles. They are looking like adding to those league victories this campaign after managing to come top of the table at just the right stage in the season. Mourinho has also managed to get the best out of Eden Hazard, who has already become one of the Premier league’s best players.

The Belgian international has been spoken of as the next big thing in world football, but under the leadership of Mourinho, he is becoming truly consistent and capable of delivering in the big matches as well. Capello has taken note of the progress made by Hazard, while he says that Mourinho has done extremely well not only to revitalise the older players like Frank Lampard and John Terry, but he has also managed to do well in the transfer market as well. Chelsea bought Nemanja Matic from Benfica for £ 21 million. He is proving to be a world-class acquisition for the blues.

“I would say that till now Mourinho is going to be coach of the year because he has succeeded in a short time, a really difficult job: he has revitalised the old Chelsea, from Terry to Lampard, using the energy and quality of the new talent. They have not made a mistake with one buy and that is not normal. I have seen him mature, become convinced of his abilities. Mourinho can be proud of his work. I say this because his fingerprints are all over this, for sure,” said Capello about Chelsea and Hazard.