Real Madrid coach headed back to Stamford Bridge
José Mourinho waved his goodbyes briefly to the Bernabéu ultras after his Real Madrid team swept Osasuna aside 4-2 in his final match in charge of Los Blancos.
It was a stadium sliced in half yesterday evening, one set of supporters in admiration of their departing head coach, the other in relief that the controversial Portuguese tactician is leaving.
Mourinho has endured a torrid relationship with many members of the Spanish press, some of his own players and a large section of fans during an eventful three-year stay in Madrid. After leading Real to the La Liga crown in 2012, many thought a period of domination of the Spanish championship would duly follow. However, that failed to materialise and great rivals Barcelona wrestled back the title at the first time of asking by a whopping margin of 15 points.
Real's Champions League campaign was steady, if unspectacular in nature, and they finally succumbed to a hungrier opponent in the shape of Borussia Dortmund at the semi-final stage; Mourinho's men suffered a remarkable 4-1 thrashing away in Germany before almost clawing it back at home.
It's on to previously trodden ground for the outspoken coach as a switch back to Chelsea and the English Premier League beckons.
The official Premier League website made a boo-boo in the early hours of this morning when posting a story dated Monday exclaiming José, the self-proclaimed 'Special One', had already signed on for a second stint at Stamford Bridge. The headline still appears on search engines, but when clicked on, it directs the reader to a 'PAGE NOT FOUND' message. The Premier League have been hurriedly trying to clear up the mess by simply stating the story appeared in error. There's no mistaking that Mourinho is definitely on his way back to lead The Blues; the only error is that they posted it a day early!
The man who won Chelsea's first top-flight league trophy for 50 years in 2005 is going to be back in the dugout at Stamford Bridge next season and will bid to defy the odds that are placed firmly against a manager going back to a former club and being capable of replicating former glories. If anyone can turn the tide on that old adage, it is Mr. Mourinho!
The English media, unlike their Italian and Spanish counterparts who've come up against José since, absolutely adored the Portuguese for his often outrageous and always entertaining press conferences. They were almost guaranteed a quality sound bite that they could utilise in a newspaper story or website article and in addition, the majority of English football fans also took to the now 50-year-old boss during his time in the country that lasted 2004-2007. His charismatic approach to the public side of life endeared him to many, with the possible exception of fans that follow Chelsea fiercest rivals.
As for the challenge that confronts him, Mourinho will find a different landscape to the one that he thought would greet him on his return just a couple of months ago. The task of going up against the wily old fox Alex Ferguson will have given the former Porto and Inter manager plenty to chew on, but now he will fancy his chances a great deal more versus the new man at the Old Trafford helm, David Moyes. Manchester City, with Manuel Pellegrini likely to be the new man in charge at the Etihad, will provide a stern test of any prospective title challenger and while Arsenal are still a team to be reckoned with, they've faded badly since the last time José was around these parts.
He will be expected to take Chelsea back to the pinnacle of European football by winning another Champions League trophy for the club, something he failed to do first time around. It's a regret of the new man that he couldn't do it in his opening spell in charge and he'll do his damnedest to add a third Champions League triumph to his personal coaching achievements.
In short, Chelsea's returning messiah will feel he has plenty to prove and all the capabilities to prove it on his return to the Premier League.
His reappearance in west London will be universally accepted by the Chelsea faithful and will be extra welcome to those that railed against the short-term appointment of Rafa Benitez. For many a Chelsea fan, it will be as though all of their Christmases have come at once!
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