Mkhitaryan’s Truth: Inside the Fallout With Mourinho
Armenian midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan has caused a stir with his new autobiography La mia vita sempre al centro (“My Life Always in the Center”), where he finally opens up about his turbulent spell at Manchester United — and, most of all, his confrontation with José Mourinho.
In a book filled with personal reflections, Mkhitaryan details how his dream move to Old Trafford slowly turned into one of the most difficult experiences of his career. What began with hope ended in hostility, text messages, and a transfer that shocked both fans and teammates.
From Promise to Friction
When Mkhitaryan joined Manchester United from Borussia Dortmund in 2016, he was seen as one of Europe’s most creative midfielders. But tensions with Mourinho emerged almost immediately.
According to Mkhitaryan, the Portuguese manager’s criticism became constant — and at times brutal. One heated argument on the training ground marked the breaking point.
“You’ve been criticizing me for a year and a half now, ever since I arrived at Manchester United,” he recalls saying.
Mourinho replied that he was “a piece of s***.”
“Then I lost my temper,” Mkhitaryan writes. “I told him, ‘You are the s*** — an enormous one.’ He shouted back: ‘Get out of here. I never want to see you again.’”
That confrontation effectively ended his future under Mourinho. What followed was months of silence on the pitch and pressure off it.
The WhatsApp Messages and the Sánchez Deal
Mkhitaryan reveals that Mourinho began messaging him directly, trying to push him out of the club as Manchester United prepared to sign Alexis Sánchez.
Each evening, he would receive texts from the manager asking him to leave. One message read:
“Miki, please go — that way I can bring in Alexis Sánchez.”
At first, Mkhitaryan responded politely:
“I’ll leave if I find the right team. Otherwise, I’ll wait until summer.”
But as the pressure grew, so did his resistance:
“I’m not leaving just to do you a favour. And please, stop writing to me. If you want, talk to my agent, Mino Raiola.”
A few days later, the deal was done. Sánchez joined United, Mkhitaryan moved to Arsenal. He closes the chapter in his book with a hint of irony:
“And everyone lived happily ever after.”
Reunion in Rome
Years later, fate brought them back together at AS Roma. To everyone’s surprise, their working relationship was professional — even positive. Mkhitaryan admits that by then, both men had changed. He appreciated Mourinho’s trust and discipline, and their collaboration in Rome ended without drama.
However, the book also reveals new friction from his time under Simone Inzaghi at Inter Milan, describing their final months together as “not painless” — another sign of how demanding top-level football can be.
A Life Beyond the Pitch
The autobiography is not just about football feuds. Mkhitaryan devotes entire chapters to his roots, his late father’s influence, and his deep connection to Armenia.
He explains that his retirement from the national team in 2021 was purely personal — not due to conflicts or exhaustion.
“Every time I wore the Armenia shirt, I felt proud,” he writes.
The book’s tone shifts between reflective and raw, mixing career anecdotes with memories of his homeland and faith. Its chapter titles range from “An Indigestible Breakfast With Mourinho” to “A Window With a View of Mount Ararat,” blending humor and melancholy in equal measure.
Published by Patrick Jane
10.10.2025