Wherever Jose Mourinho goes, everyone in the football world knows he’s there. It doesn’t take him long to saunter into a club, stamp his authority, and go on to win just about everything put in front of him. Forgetting his failure to secure the Champions League trophy at Chelsea, his record at taking good sides and making them great is impeccable. With that said, his newest challenge may just be his biggest yet.
After securing the league and Champions League at Porto in 2004, it was time for Jose Mourinho to move on. His next destination was Chelsea FC in the Premier League. Granted, this was not a team close to relegation. This was a team on the verge of breaking out of their continual 2nd and 3rd place finishes to compete for the league. Add in a few billion dollars from Roman Abramovich and presto, the league was theirs. After winning two league titles, an FA Cup, and two Carling Cups, Mourinho once again knew it was time to move on.
Inter Milan welcomed his services in 2008. Not too dissimilar to Chelsea, Inter were a team on the precipice of taking over Serie A. Mourinho seemed to be the missing piece of the puzzle, because after his arrival Inter won the league. The following year, he won the allusive treble. The league, the domestic cup, and the Holy Grail, the Champions League. Unfortunately for Inter fans, Mourinho saw no reason to stay on and continued his football journey to Real Madrid.
Once Mourinho arrived in Madrid, there was only one thing on his mind: Winning. The Special One is not used to losing, and Madrid fans must be salivating at his arrival to the club. Despite his recent records, Madrid is a different prospect from the previous teams he managed. While Real is certainly a team on the cusp of taking over La Liga, they were already at the top before.
Real are also not used to losing, yet it is something they have had to endure the last couple of seasons. Barcelona have been the epic force in the Spanish league, and more importantly, in Europe for some time now. Real Madrid had to watch as the title slipped away last season, and they also had to watch Barcelona win the Champions League twice in a three-year span. Last year was an especially disappointing campaign because Madrid threw a lot of money at the problem, but once again won nothing.
After spending an enormous amount last season on players like Ronaldo, Kaka, and Karim Benzema, Madrid looked on their way to a league and Champions League double. It was not to be as they failed against Lyon in the knockout stages and trailed Barcelona by five points at the end of last season.
This will be a true test for not just Real, but also for Mourinho. The pressure to win domestically as well as in Europe is greater than ever. Real Madrid cannot conceive of going another year without a Champions League trophy and watching Barcelona clinch another title is something they will be embarrassed over. This summer has provided them with even more expensive signings; including the likes of German star Mesut Ozil and Argentinian Angel Di Maria. Mourinho has already started the season with a draw, and he knows playing catch up with Barcelona is a risky game to play. As the next ten months progresses in Spain, we’ll see if Jose Mourinho really is “The Special One.”
Kylie Lawrence writes for Spirit Pins, a company that specializes in custom lapel pins and sports team trading pins.
