Who is the most special coach in the world?
Once known as "the Special One," Mourinho remains a central figure in discussions even after moving to the Turkish Super League. In a recent interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport, he openly discussed many interesting topics, giving everyone a glimpse of the real Mourinho.
Mourinho is like a bird without roots, traveling through various European leagues and leaving championship trophies at each stop, along with more controversies. From the Portuguese league to the English Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, and now the Turkish Super League, Mourinho's presence can be seen everywhere. Traditional giants such as Chelsea, Real Madrid, and Inter Milan have all won various championships under his guidance, making him truly unique.
Looking back on Mourinho's coaching career, it started with consecutive European titles with Porto, which caught everyone's attention. He then reached his peak at Chelsea, Inter Milan, Real Madrid, and Manchester United. After experiencing disappointment at Old Trafford, Mourinho began to decline, coaching Tottenham, Roma, and Fenerbahce, teams that are no longer traditional powerhouses but still managed to bring home championships.
The only exceptions were his time at Tottenham and his recent stint at Fenerbahce, where he did not win any championships. Despite Roma not being a top team, they reached the finals of European competitions for two consecutive years and won their first European title, which is enough to prove Mourinho's appeal.
Therefore, many people are curious about what the real Mourinho looks like.
After successfully undergoing a minor gallbladder surgery, Mourinho revealed many interesting stories during an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport. When asked about the most perfect matches in his coaching career, he specifically mentioned three: firstly, Porto's 4-1 victory over Lazio in the UEFA Cup semi-finals, where the opponent scored within 50 seconds but had no further chances. Secondly, the Champions League final where Inter Milan defeated Bayern Munich 2-0; from the beginning, he knew they would win. These victories were all related to championships.
Unrelated to championships was leading Tottenham to a 6-1 victory over Manchester United, which was both exciting and regretful because they could have scored the seventh, eighth, or even ninth goal in that match. This statement might evoke painful memories for Manchester United fans. After leading United to a loss against Sevilla in the Champions League, Mourinho insisted that he had beaten United multiple times before, so their elimination was not significant. This comment sparked endless controversy.
Listing the big win over Manchester United as one of the most perfect matches seems to be a response to the criticism he faced from fans in the past. Additionally, Mourinho once said that bringing Manchester United to second place was the greatest achievement of his coaching career. Regardless, this is indeed a fact. The current Manchester United struggles to maintain even twelfth place.
Years of wandering inevitably leave behind regrets and remorse. On this topic, Mourinho candidly stated that when he left Real Madrid, President Florentino repeatedly tried to persuade him to stay, believing that they had overcome the toughest times together and that the future would be a period of harvest. However, Mourinho still insisted on leaving and returned to his beloved Chelsea. It's unknown whether the subsequent remarkable European championship journey without winning the Champions League at Real Madrid is the regret he mentioned.
Another regret concerns Roma. After joining Roma, Mourinho helped the team win the inaugural Europa Conference League title in his first year, etching his name into history. In the second year, they made it to the Europa League final but lost to old rival Sevilla amidst controversy.
Mourinho believes that after the final held in Budapest, Hungary, it should have been the best time for him to leave Roma. His decision to stay led to various unpleasant situations, and he had to part ways with the club half a year later. Since then, he has not watched any of Roma's matches.
From top European teams to mid-tier European teams, and now to a Turkish Super League powerhouse, Mourinho has followed a downward trajectory, suggesting that the opportunity to return to traditional giants may no longer exist. What his future direction will be has always been a topic of interest and discussion among fans.
In the interview, Mourinho provided an answer: the national team. He hopes to lead a team to participate in the European Championship or the World Cup, uniting all players for the honor of their country and rallying all fans around the national team to cheer, which is an incredible thing in itself.
It can only be said that spontaneity is the biggest reason why fans adore Mourinho. There is no pretense, and his clear love-hate distinction is why people like him. He dares to run alone to the center of the field before the players enter, accepting boos from all away fans to relieve pressure for the team. Few coaches can do this.
This season, Fenerbahce is temporarily ranked second in the Turkish Super League and is among the top 24 in the Europa League, with a good chance of advancing. Mourinho still has the opportunity to prove himself. As he said, the 61-year-old Mourinho's next goal should be to become the head coach of a national team.
Cherish what we have while we can. In today's profit-driven football world, coaches with personalities like Mourinho are becoming rare. Will the Portuguese national team be the last stop of his coaching career?