Mourinho Jokes About Zouma’s Age as Young Defender Adapts to Premier League
José Mourinho hasn’t lost his playful edge. After last season’s controversy over comments on Samuel Eto’o’s age, the Portuguese coach is now teasing Chelsea’s Kurt Zouma — but this time, all in good humor.
The 19-year-old French defender, who recently joined Chelsea from Saint-Étienne, revealed in an interview with L’Équipe how Mourinho and the squad joke about his age. “Even the coach teased me once, saying: ‘Now, we’re going to see if you lied about your age!’ after a blood test,” Zouma laughed. “But really, they’re cool, simple, and attentive.”
The Central African-origin defender is still settling into the Premier League after officially joining Chelsea this summer. Having impressed on loan at Saint-Étienne, he’s already struck by the pace and intensity of English football.
“When you’re on the pitch, you think: ‘Wow, they’re playing football.’ It goes fast, very fast. A match against Everton (6-3), it was crazy. When they told me to warm up, I accelerated straight away—I could have knocked myself out!” he joked.
Though yet to make his debut for Chelsea’s senior team, Zouma’s enthusiasm and quick adaptation hint at a promising future at Stamford Bridge.
