If José Mourinho had some sort of license on the use of his name, then after recent blanket speculation about him potentially taking over at Real Madrid the 63-year-old would have earned enough to compete with all the payoffs he’s had from the various sackings since he left Los Blancos back in 2013.
So ubiquitous has the debate over Mourinho to Madrid across TV, radio, newspapers, online, in bars and, no doubt, in the Madrid board room, that it has dwarfed even the approaching third and potentially LaLiga title-deciding Clásico of the season, which will be staged at Camp Nou this Sunday (LIVE at 3 p.m. ET on ESPN and ESPN+ in the U.S.).
Above anything else, it was Mourinho’s relationship with El Clásico (whenever eternal rivals Barcelona and Madrid meet to compete) which elevated him from fame and popularity to mythical status.
The 5-0 thrashing at the hands of Pep Guardiola’s mega-team soon after than the “Special One” took over prime Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Sergio Ramos, Xabi Alonso and Marcelo; his ability to set that humiliation aside and win a classic Clásico in the 2011 Copa del Rey final by defeating Barcelona 1-0; his players’ stream of red cards, the controversial assertion that refereeing behaviour towards Barcelona left him asking “Por qué, por qué!?” (“Why, why?!”) and the media guerrilla-warfare he waged on Guardiola.
Whether Mourinho gets to watch this Clásico live is up for grabs — at the time of writing his Benfica side’s match against Braga this weekend has neither its date nor kick-off time confirmed.
Other things are much clearer.
Firstly, Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez and Mourinho have maintained friendship, respect and a feeling of “unfinished business” since parting ways with the Portuguese coach 13 years ago.
Secondly, the job at Madrid is almost indescribably different, and more threatening, than when Mourinho left Inter Milan as Treble-winners and took over at the Bernabéu in 2010.
Thirdly, Mourinho left an unequal amount of disciples and “haters” behind when he went off to Chelsea having won one LaLiga title, two Copas and the Supercopa. Definitely more “haters.”
Finally, both Mourinho (via his agent Jorge Mendes) and Pérez have actively encouraged his name to be “out there” in the media over the last few weeks. It hasn’t been, and still isn’t, a “breaking news” story that some agile reporter or “well-sourced” editor has scooped everyone on. It has been that old adage of taking the temperature — working out the general consensus among Madridistas.
Poor old Alvaro Arbeloa, Madrid’s interim coach, seems not only to be running out of options to keep his job but appears to be acting and talking with exactly this realization in mind. Especially on player power … or at least, player behavior and attitude.
His ultra-pungent words on Sunday night, after his team prevented Barcelona becoming champions, for the moment, spoke volumes.–ESPN
