Jose Mourinho: No Longer The ‘Special One’
With Jose Mourinho now confirmed as the new Inter boss, after weeks of speculation, it’s been a time to enjoy the ‘Special One’ in the spotlight once again. But, it seems, Mourinho no longer thinks he is special. Has the arrogance we all loved been tamed? Or, maybe he thought the Inter fans were not going to be as receptive to a messiah like claim?
Mourinho was asked ‘What do you want to be called now?’. A question with direct reference to his ‘Special One’ tag. This was his response:
“I have arrived at a special club, and when a club is like this the coach becomes an extra person. I’m not forgetting that I’m a great coach, but I don’t want to be special. José Mourinho hasn’t changed. He’s the same person with the same ambition, the same motivations, and with a great passion for football. He has always wanted to coach in Italy, possibly at a great club. Inter have given me the opportunity to work in a great footballing nation like Italy. This is a very important challenge for me and I have to thank the managers present here, in particular Marco Branca, for choosing me. It will be fun for you too.”
So, the Special One is no more. Mourinho is now just a great coach. It’s Mourinho’s arrogance that endeared him to fans in England and around the world. Whereas arrogance is normally such an unattractive personality trait, with Mourinho it was different.
The former Chelsea boss is a natural leader. A suave, sophisticated and smooth talker of a man. It’s evident that Mourinho has a high level of self-belief, and that belief rubs off on the players of any club he is involved with.
The press conference continued:
Will you bring your family to Milan or will you leave them in Portugal, like you did when you coached in England?
“My family lived happily in London. It’s a fantastic city and it was a fantastic experience. The only problem I had in London was with my dog. I am in love with London and with English football. I don’t think there will be any problems in Italy. I made a contribution to English football, and I want to do the same for Italian football. My family will move to Milan because I can’t work without my family. My family is the most important thing for me. Milan is a fantastic city and my wife is a fantastic woman who has given me everything I need to work in football.”
The fans want you to win the Champions League.
“The Champions League is the dream of every club. When I analyse the situation I think that there are at least eleven teams in the fight to win the Champions League - three Italians, four English, a German and three Spanish. For me the third Spanish team is Atletico Madrid. I call the Champions League the competition of details, because it’s the details that make the difference. When I was at Porto we won the qualifier against Manchester in the 90th minute. Another time with Chelsea we lost two semi-finals - first with a goal that nobody saw, and then after penalties. It is definitely the competition of details. I have won it once in the last four editions, I have reached the semi-finals twice, and I have won a UEFA Cup. I think I have a tendency to reach the final phases of these competitions. I have experience in leading a group and a good knowledge of different footballing cultures, having worked in Portugal, Spain and England. I think I can bring this knowledge to Italy. The Champions League is also a competition between different footballing cultures. One day you’re up against a British team, and the next week against a Portuguese team, who obviously have competely different philosophies. I can say without any fear that Inter is one of the eleven teams who want to win the Champions League.”
What differences will there be between your style of play and Mancini’s?
“First I want to meet the players and talk with them. I just want to say that comunication is very important for me, but that comunication always ends with my decision. I can’t wait to start coaching the team.”
So, Mourinho’s only problem with London was his dog! That, to me, was the statement of the morning. Seriously though, Mourinho is now a ‘great manager’ of a ’special club’.
Press conference courtesy of inter.it
