Mourinho’s Special Enemy

Jose Mourinho has had many ‘enemies’ over the course of his managerial career. In fact, it almost seems to be part of his plan to create such rivalries with his wars of words. It’s something that, for many years, he has appeared to be in complete control of. In recent seasons, however, an infatuation with Pep Guardiola has seemingly diminished his control.

In 2004, Jose Mourinho assuredly announced himself to the English game, branding himself as a ‘special one’. Constantly toeing the line between self confidence and arrogance, the Portuguese manager took his Chelsea side - with apparent ease - to the top of the Premier League. An aura of great majesty exuded from him, seemingly untouchable and sending opposing managers into angry frenzies with his endless mind games.

Now, in 2018, he looks a whole world aways from such a persona. His infamous mind games have become more like the ramblings of a mad old man, and his football has been exhausting to watch. The turgid defensive performances of his Manchester United team can be painfully boring. In this current managerial era in which Pep Guardiola reigns supreme, Mourinho’s style has become the antithesis of the Catalan’s. Indeed, it’s something that seems to go deeper than a City - United rivalry.

In 2008, Barcelona were on the hunt for a new manager. Mourinho and Guardiola were in the running. Both men had history with the club. Mourinho had been Bobby Robson’s translator during his stint in Catalonia, and impressed the Englishman enough to be adopted onto the coaching team. He furthered his stay with the club by becoming a prodigy of Robson’s successor, Louis Van Gaal, acting as his assistant and occasionally taking charge of first team games as well as Barcelona’s esteemed B team. Guardiola’s time with the club was spent less as manager, only having had one season in charge of the B team, and more as a player. He was, however, a product of ‘La Masia’ and truly a man of the ‘Barcelona way’. Two strong cases to become manager but, as we all know, it was Guardiola who got the job. It is, apparently, a point of resentment for Jose Mourinho.

Pep Guardiola turned Barcelona into what was truly a force to be reckoned with, storming to the treble in his first season. Mourinho would have his victory though, his Inter Milan side knocking Barcelona out of the Champions League semi-final - using Christian Chivu as a winger to nullify Barca’s threat - the following year on their way to the treble. Indeed, the Portuguese was able to thwart Guardiola again in 2012, his Real Madrid side managing to stop Guardiola from winning his fourth La Liga in a row. These instances are, however, only one off victories in comparison to the tidal wave of trophies that Guardiola has amassed.

In England in the present day, the rivalry has culminated in an ‘anti-Guardiola’ style of football. “Whoever has the ball is more likely to make a mistake”, “the game is one by the team who commit the fewest errors” and “whoever has the ball has fear”. Statements made by Diego Torres in his biography of Jose Mourinho harbour a strong echo of truth. His Manchester United side are not pleasant to watch.

The Alex Ferguson factor still has not quite worn off of the Red Devils, and they are often an automatic choice for ‘exciting football’ when choosing a match to watch. Viewers are, instead, often met with gruelling defensive displays (especially against the top sides) that seem solely focused on the snatching of a one goal victory. There has always been an ever present element of cynicism and focus on results to Mourinho’s style, but in the wake of Pep Guardiola’s brand of attacking, intense and dynamic football, it (and Mourinho himself) has become an exaggerated caricature of itself.

(Photo: Daily Express)