Chelsea legend John Terry has revealed that Jose Mourinho once told him to deliberately collect yellow cards so he could serve a planned suspension and be rested for a key Premier League match.
Terry, 45, made the revelation while speaking on FC Bullard The Show, recalling one of the tactical decisions Mourinho made during his time as Chelsea manager.
According to the former England defender, Mourinho wanted him to miss an FA Cup match against Walsall so he could be available for Chelsea’s important Premier League clash against Manchester United.
Terry said Mourinho approached him when he had two league bookings and told him to pick up yellow cards in his next three league games.
“I’m on two bookings. He comes to me and says, ‘You have to miss that one because we play Man United at home after Walsall. I want you to miss the FA Cup game, so you have to get booked in the next three league games,’” Terry recalled.
The former Chelsea captain said he collected bookings in his next two matches before deliberately looking for another late in the third game.
With Chelsea winning, Terry described how he delayed taking a throw-in in the final minutes until the referee eventually showed him a yellow card for wasting time.
“I’m waiting about two minutes. In the end, he comes over and books me. I drop the ball and just go running back,” Terry said.
Terry then revealed that Mourinho rewarded him with a four-day trip to Dubai after the plan worked.
“He sends me to Dubai for four days after. Little bits like that. It was just so good,” he added.
The story has attracted criticism from some fans, with some questioning the idea of deliberately getting booked to manipulate the suspension system.
For Terry, however, it was another example of Mourinho’s attention to detail and the unusual methods he used to prepare his team for important matches.
The pair enjoyed great success together at Chelsea, winning two Premier League titles during Mourinho’s first spell at the club.
