Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal says his Chelsea counterpart Jose Mourinho is "modest".
Mourinho has often been accused of having an arrogant and abrasive style and has not always enjoyed the easiest of relationships with some of his players, notably having issues with a portion of the dressing room at former club Real Madrid.
But Van Gaal, who had Mourinho on his staff at Barcelona and takes his Manchester United side to play the Portuguese's Chelsea outfit tomorrow, insists that the tactician is a modest man.
And Van Gaal feels it is a shame that he does not have a reputation for being modest.
The Dutchman told MUTV: "I don't think he's a different person [to what we see on TV]. Only in the role of manager, sometimes you have to do what he's done.
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"He's a modest guy and no one can imagine that. That's a pity."
Van Gaal also spoke about Mourinho's qualities on the coaching pitch, pointing out that when the Portuguese speaks, players listen.
"He's a very good coach.
"He reads the game very well. He can make a team from individual players, they listen to him and like the manager.
"That cohesion is very important in a club and he always manages that."
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