31st May 2024. A normal Friday with the usual amount of post-season football ramblings and happenings going on, as well as being on the eve of the culmination of the European club football season tomorrow, when Real Madrid take on Dortmund in the Champions League Final at Wembley. But… as he always seems to… a certain someone at the match may take one or two of the headlines for himself.
Earlier in the week, it was announced that TNT Sports had acquired the services of 2-time Champions League winning manager Jose Mourinho to be a part of their media coverage for the showpiece game. Quite the signing really to get such a prestigious name in addition to their usual roster, such as former Champions League winners Rio Ferdinand and Owen Hargreaves, as well as former Real Madrid midfielder Steve McManaman. Mourinho was well received during his stint working for Sky Sports a few years ago, when he previously was ‘between jobs’, as was his cameos on TalkSport during the Euros in 2021. That time it was prior to his arrival in the Italian capital as manager of AS Roma, and whilst there were rumours that the many millions of Saudi would soon prove to be the ‘project’ for him, out of the blue seemingly it now appears that he is set for a slightly different next chapter.
I am someone who has followed in both admiration and bemusement and awe down the years, sometimes all at the same time, the amazing career of Jose Mourinho. Naturally as football has changed, so have his fortunes, and whilst not sustaining the level of success in the first part of his career, he has always had some level of good results wherever he has gone, apart from Spurs, which… is another story for another time, time that I don’t have. Even in his last role in Rome, getting a team who had gone their entire history without winning a European trophy to not one but TWO finals in two seasons, I think is much more of an achievement that it has been given credit for…
But today, which is funnily enough on the same date as to which 14 years ago (my word), the reigning Champions league winning coach strolled into the house in which he and his Inter Team had just conquered, to take the to the helm as the new manager of Real Madrid, Jose Mourinho arrives on 2024’s last day of May as the top man at one of another country’s top clubs, this time the adventure takes him to Turkey. It goes in-line with my belief that Mourinho was a bit like a ruler or an emperor of old, he wanted to go to the places he loves and the places with most prestige, battle, win and conquer, before setting off on his next voyage, ready to reign elsewhere in an ever-expanding empire of football’s utopia. Portugal, England, Italy and Spain were all completed by 2013, as all that was needed to be won and done was so. But as with any soldier or fighter, some battles are harder than others and the effects can be ever-lasting.
The Jose that arrived back at Stamford Bridge in the summer of my first year at Uni was very different to the one that waltzed into English football a decade before. Real Madrid was maybe the first time he walked into a club with an even-bigger standing that his own, the first time he had people in his own house that weren’t totally obedient to his house rules. Sure the psychological battles with Pep and Barcelona proved so-taxing for Guardiola that he needed a 12 month sabbatical from football, but Mourinho too had to try and manage the likes of Casillas, the Spanish football media and trophy-hungry Madrid support during his time as manager of Los Blancos. La Decima had also eluded him, and Mourinho was in a relationship he always thought was for him, but it wasn’t quite as dreamy as he had hoped, and so… he returned home. His football home as well as the property in London he has. It’s never quite the same though is it? Sure he had even more trophies and even more standing in the game, but the Jose Mourinho who returned to Chelsea in 2013 was very different to the self-proclaimed ‘Special One’ from 10 years previous.
Up and Down could be used to describe Jose’s run in the decade since. After undisputed success at Porto, Chelsea, Inter and Madrid (with only some minor failures really), Chelsea 2.0 brought 2 more trophies… and the sack… his ‘dream’ move to Old Trafford (just a few years too late for his liking) brought trophies… and the sack… a cameo in North London brought… a run to a final, before an abrupt sacking, and then the spell in Rome where those back to back European finals could not help keep Mourinho around to complete his Italian job.
And now here we are, Jose has seemingly set his sights on another country, a new challenge. One I think may well suit him. Jose will be the biggest name at the club, in the footballing country surely in Turkey, and he’s as a club in a city famous for its vociferous support. Jose has always been a manager keen to build a stockade mentality in his teams, us against the world is how he likes it. Most recently, in quite extraordinary fashion, Mourinho’s new team finished 2nd in Turkey’s top league… behind great rivals Galatasaray… having finished on 99 points and losing only 1 game. Mourinho and Fenerbahçe BOTH have something to prove for season 24/25. A 2 year deal I think works well for both parties, in that time is about when Jose does his best work, it’s that tricky 3rd season for Mourinho when problems usually come around. And all gong well, a contract ending summer 2026 would leave open the possibility of that dream finish for the career of Portugal’s ‘Special One’…
Whatever happens with Jose as Fenerbahçe manager, I for one am excited to see it unfold. I will try and follow it and write here my thoughts. I would think if he has gone there, there will be money to spend and additions to be made to the likes of Edin Dzeko, Dusan Tadic, Ryan Kent and Fred. And at times it may not be pretty, but I think it will prove fruitful for both… (think being the key word)… lets see how long it goes before the fireworks begin (and not just from the supporters). It could be his final disaster, it could be his last dance. But Jose Mourinho in a new kingdom for him to conquer? Sounds fun to me…
Josh.
NobodyisReady.com 