Damien Duff Reveals World-Class Manager’s Influence in LOI Win

Damien Duff has led Shelbourne to a historic League of Ireland title, with a remarkable assist from none other than Jose Mourinho.

The former Chelsea winger revealed that Mourinho, his manager at Chelsea, played a crucial role in Shelbourne’s title-winning campaign, offering motivational team talks and personal messages in the final weeks of the season.

Duff explained how Mourinho’s iNFLuence became part of Shelbourne’s strategy during the title race. “We’ve had a certain flow for the last couple of weeks, so you’re trying to look for those little extras,” said Duff to Off The Ball, via RecordSport. “Three weeks ago, we made contact [with Mourinho] and built it up. We had team talks from him and then a private message last week.”

Mourinho’s involvement, Duff shared, went beyond a casual gesture. The Fenerbahce manager took a genuine interest in the team’s journey, with his inspirational talks giving Shelbourne an edge.

This unique partnership has paid off handsomely for Duff, who has now clinched his first league title as a manager, solidifying his impact in Irish Football.

Shelbourne will now qualify for the Champions League qualifiers, lifting their first league title since 2006.

They ended Shamrock Rovers’ dominance, who lifted the last four league titles in the League of Ireland.

Duff came to Celtic in 2019, and was promoted to first team coach when Neil Lennon took charge following Rodgers’ exit to the Premier League.

He remained in his post until the summer of 2020, before he returned to Ireland to be closer to his young family.