CHELSEA MANAGER Jose Mourinho believes England can win the World Cup, despite the low expectations surrounding the team.
England face a difficult challenge to get out of their World Cup group, which features Italy, Uruguay and Costa Rica.
Roy Hodgson’s men qualified for the finals in Brazil without losing a game in qualification, although friendly defeats to Germany and Chile served as a reminder of the task facing the 1966 World Cup winners.
However, England’s preparations for this year’s tournament started with a 1-0 win over Denmark on Wednesday, and Mourinho sees no reason why Hodgson’s side cannot win the title for a second time.
Speaking after being unveiled as Yahoo’s global football ambassador for 2014, Mourinho said: “England, everybody says ‘no, no, no, no, no.’ I always say, ‘why not?’ Because I don’t understand why not.
“When I see the players and the experience of the players and the clubs where they play, I don’t understand why one day it cannot happen.”
The Portuguese conceded England do underachieve at major competitions and may have a difficult time avoiding doing so again in Group D.
“I think so (that England underachieve) because (the Premier League) is the best championship in the world; it is the most competitive one,” he added.
“They (the players) know what the big stage is; they know how to play under pressure; they know how to play for the big clubs; they play in the Champions League which is probably the most difficult football in the world, so I don’t see why they don’t (perform at the World Cup). I don’t see why. So one day they have to do.
“I know it is (a tough group), but I don’t think Uruguay and Italy will find it easy to play against England. I think it is the kind of group where everybody is waiting for the first match, and the first defeat will put immediately one team in a very difficult situation.
“One of them will be out and one of them will be considered like a big favourite, but the reality is that the group is difficult so one of them must be out.”
