As a football manager in Europe’s topflight Jose Mourinho is a genius. He has accomplished more in his 20 odds years at the helm of the best football clubs on the planet than anyone else.
As a tactician he is peerless. As a man manager he is not so adept. Mourinho is the kind of man who you either love or hate - there is no middle ground. What makes the Portuguese coach such a dynamo? His pragmatic approach to the beautiful game.
The 56-year-old may have seen his best days come and go but after a brief hiatus from the job he loves to hate, Mourinho is back marshalling his troops in the English Premier League.
This time it is not Chelsea nor Manchester United he is attempting to nurse - rung for rung - up the league ladder. It is Tottenham Hotspurs that has to gird itself for the inevitable controversies that follow the man around like a forlorn puppy.
The Early Years - Porto
As a midfielder Mourinho was unexceptional. As a coach for first Benefica and later Porto he was nothing sort of brilliant. In his second season in charge at Porto, the Dragoes won the Primeira Liga.
They also beat Celtic in a nail biter to claim the UEFA Cup. The following season was even more auspicious. Along with the domestic cup and title Porto bagged the coveted UEFA Champions League
The Special One – Chelsea
Mourinho continued to turn heads in his initial spell with Chelsea. Under his tutelage the Pensioners won their first league title in five decades and followed it up with a second. They also held the League and FA Cups aloft.
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Following a spat with the club’s owner Mourinho left Chelsea but not before claiming the honours of being the most successful manager ever. In his own words Jose Mourinho was indeed the Special One - a veritable godsend for the Fulham-based football club.
Back to Europe - Serie A and La Liga
As manager of Inter Milan he won the full gamut of silverware - the league title, the Copa Italia and the Champions League. He followed this up at Real Madrid where he bagged the domestic title and the Copa Del Rey.
Jose Mourinho is the first man ever to win the Primiera Liga, the Premier League, Serie A and La Liga - the domestic leagues of four different countries! Despite his achievements he decided to extend his dazzling career across the English Channel.
Loss of Form
Mourinho re-joined Chelsea and won his third league title plus the League Cup before joining the Red Devils. A poor run of form and a few serious run-ins with senior players like Paul Pogba put paid to his foray with Manchester United.
Jose Mourinho may be dogged by controversy and spend far too much time annoying journalists, players and fans but he is undoubtedly one of the greatest football managers of all time.
The results speak for the themselves. Along with his achievements in the domestic leagues he is one of only three managers in the history of the sport to win the UEFA Champions League twice… and with two different clubs.
If the feisty Portuguese-born manager finally learns how to control himself and tempers that inflated ego of his, he has the experience and intimate knowledge of the game to make the English Premier League his own personal fiefdom all over again.
Can Jose Mourinho turn the Lily White’s fortunes around? Is silverware in their immediate future? Only time will tell!
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