The Not So Special One - What Caused The Fall Of Portugal's Favourite Son?

"Please don't call me arrogant, but I'm European champion and I think I'm a special one." During his first interview with the English media, Jose Mourinho went from a newly established young Portuguese man looking to cement his legacy, to a must see commodity of the English game. When Jose, who still to this day is dubbed as the special one, won the Champions League with FC Porto, he caught the eye of Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, which led to Mourinho being appointed by the Russian as the new manager of London club Chelsea in 2004. What followed was Chelsea’s first league title in fifty years, capped off with records for the least goal conceded in history for the English top flight and the most points ever recorded in a thirty eight game season. When you pair these records with a Carling Cup victory and an impressive run in the UEFA Champions League, the football fans of England and around the world, where instantly in awe of the special one. His tenure at Chelsea lasted until 2007 when he departed the club, under mutual consent with the owner. 

However this did not harm his stance as perhaps the best manager in the world and before long was the new boss of Italian giants Inter Milan. Here he continued his eye catching personality, in Italian! Speaking the language fluently in his first interview, claiming to have learnt it in less than three weeks. It was acts like this which kept the world media attracted, and it didn’t take long for the Italians to fall for Jose just as the English media had in the years prior. By the end of 2010 Jose had won all there was to with the Italians, securing a historic treble in his final game! His players had truly came to love their boss, with long standing Inter defender Marco Materazzi sobbing on camera when told of Mourinho’s departure to perhaps the biggest club side in the world. Real Madrid.

Real Madrid, Los Blancos, the galacticos, the team from the Spanish capital are perhaps the biggest in the world, but over the years there is one position where they have struggled to fill with a name deserving of the title, the manager of Real Madrid. During his first season at the Santiago Bernebeau (Real Madrid’s home stadium) Jose led his new side to a points record for the club, however despite this he could only manage his side to second place, with Catalan giants Barcelona winning the Spanish Premier Division title. For the first time in his career, the media did not instantly swoon to the special one upon his arrival in Spain, and instead they questioned his methods. However those methods next season led to Los Blancos secured the league title, finishing 9 points clear of last season’s winners Barcelona. This results led to the Madrid players actually bowing to Jose in the celebrations, showing just how strong Jose’s bond is with his players! Just as much as a group of his players adored him, the media in Spain came to hate the Portuguese manager. In the following season, the relationship between Jose and his captain Iker Casillas soured, which caused major backlash in the media.  "I am loved by some clubs, especially one. In Spain it is different; some people hate me, many of you in this (press) room." This quote was not long before Mourinho said how this season, which turned out to be his last with the club, was the worst of his career!

In the summer of 2013, Mourinho returned to Chelsea, the move the world of football had been expecting since his departure 6 years prior.  He returned to where he was adored by both the fans and the media, and all of the controversial language he had used in his first tenor came with him upon his return to the Premier League.  In his first season back in London, he moulded the current team into one which appeared to be as will to play for him as any before, and by the end of his second year back, his Chelsea team had effectively walked to the title, losing only three games all season and winning manager of the year in the process. Mourinho was as indestructible as ever, which is why what happened next makes no sense.

Just seven months after Chelsea secured the title in impressive fashion, they were placed 16^th and in the midst of a potential relegation battle! This incredible decline lead to Jose Mourinho being released from his contract, the question is what caused this?

Many miniature incidents during the beginning of their season could be the fault of Chelsea’s downfall, the poor form of star men Eden Hazard, Diego Costa and Cesc Fabregas? The spine of José’s title winning team looked a shadow of their former selves. The Portuguese manager has always been controversial but the many derogatory comments made about FA representatives during his final season point to a man under pressure, and lacking support. This backlash from the English media can be pointed to something other than Chelsea’s form. The handling of Eva Carnerio, the former Chelsea physio who has since been fired.  Carnerio rushed onto the pitch during the first game of Jose’s final season at Chelsea to attend to an injury for Eden Hazard after twice being summoned by the referee. Mourinho slammed her actions as unprofessional and banned her from the dugout for the remainder of his tenor as manager.

The actions of the manager appeared to be the actions of a man trying to make an example, and this opinion of his actions where broadcast in the media, meaning for the first time since his first interview in England, Jose did not have the backing of the media.  The backlash was extraordinary and even the players, who has spent the last 24 months falling in love with their boss, had appeared to turn their back on his.  This lead to a side of Mourinho we haven’t seen before in England, a nervous, under pressure man trying to shift the attention from himself. This side of Mourinho drove his players further away from him and before long they players did not appear to want to play for the man. A combination of a barrage from the media and his own players turning a cold shoulder led to Mourinho losing his job in December of 2015.

 If you ask me, it wasn’t Chelsea’s form which led to the changing attitude of the special one. It was the changing attitude of Mourinho, the insistence on shifting the blame, the determination to make himself seem indestructible which eventually led to his destruction and to Chelsea’s incredible fall from grace.