Jose Mourinho is the manager who everyone loves to hate. It’s no surprise that the rise of Mo Salah has brought negative attention.

Let’s get is straight. Salah played against Chelsea for Basel. Mourinho thought he was talented so asked his club to buy him. Chelsea paid £11m for him in 2014 as a result. He was poor in the games Mourinho gave him so he was loaned out.

A few months after winning Chelsea the title, Mourinho was sacked. Eight months later, Salah was sold to Roma when Antonio Conte was manager. Yet for some reason, the press are criticising the Mourinho for letting Salah slip through the net. Mourinho has responded to that criticism.

It’s easier for you to say negative things about me and not positive things. Everybody knows I bought Salah, I was at Chelsea, he was at Basel and I am responsible for the players I bring to the clubs and he came to the club in my period. I was the person that obviously with Chelsea’s agreement – the board, the owner, people responsible for finance – who brought Salah to the country.

We played against Basel, he played against me. Before I play matches, especially international matches, I spend a lot of time analysing the opposition I don’t know as well, I watch and I told the club to buy that fantastic young player. You know that but you prefer to say negative things and not the positive things, this is the reality.

He was not playing a lot and that is my responsibility as a coach and we decided with him it was better to have a loan period to play, to grow up to become stronger. Internally again with the board and technical director, we thought Italian football could be good for him to develop. He wanted to go to Fiorentina. After that I left and I am not responsible for the process.

But just to end, as I am not comfortable speaking about a Liverpool player. Credit to him, Jurgen [Klopp], the team and I am very, very, very happy for him, that’s why we keep a good relation. He is a fantastic boy and he knows I have a great care for him and I’m really happy for the things that are happening for him. It’s more than deserved Player of the Year.