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London's head coach Jose Mourinho was surprised by his colleague Rafael Benitez's last-minute purchases, but praised him for Michael Owen.
"Liverpool scrambled to buy players in the market only at the last minute. I find it hard to understand their purchasing strategy," he told a Portuguese newspaper.
Nevertheless, J. Mourinho acknowledged that Roman Abramovich's financial support gave his club an advantage: "I understand perfectly that Chelsea's economic power gave us a privileged status."
On the other hand, Jose Mourinho admired Newcastle's ambitions in strengthening the club: "Michael Owen and Newcastle were the main topic of conversation. Everything is just perfect: Real Madrid player, highly desired, valued in the English national team, and Newcastle's quest for success. He lightened the club's budget by 17 million pounds, but was welcomed by 20,000 extremely happy fans. Moreover, before Owen's arrival, they signed a contract with Alberto Luque from La Coruna's Deportivo. Another excellent player who showed the club's ambitions and potential."
This weekend, Jose Mourinho will be able to see Newcastle's purchases live when the two clubs meet in a Premier League match. In the league table, Chelsea enjoys the leader's position, while Newcastle is in 10th place. Both teams have played 12 matches.
