The 5 Premier League bosses who have crossed the ‘Special’s’ path

As Jose Mourinho’s return to Chelsea draws ever closer, a sense of nostalgia is permeating the writing of football journalists across England. The press conference between Mourinho and the English press ahead of tonight’s meeting at the San Siro was like the meeting of two former lovers, with journalists hanging on the Internazionale coach’s every word.

Before the Premier League’s biggest matches, the English media machine has gotten used to interviewing painfully uncharismatic figures such as Rafael Benitez, Avram Grant and Arsene Wenger, all failing to capture the imagination of the press. However, Mourinho has rolled the circus back into town, beginning the ‘mind games’ by claiming that the Chelsea players recognise that he is responsible for the team they are now. The slight was probably aimed at Carlo Ancelotti, who claimed earlier this week that Mourinho is considered a ‘joke’ in Italy…

Whether you love or hate Mourinho, it has to be admitted that the coach is still one of the most divisive figures in English football, and as such, let’s look back the conflicts that have seen Mourinho become a figure fans love to hate…

Mourinho v Wenger

The season before Jose Mourinho joined the Premier League, Arsenal had gone the whole season unbeaten. However, Wenger’s invincibles were not so ‘special’ (sorry for the pun) following Mourinho’s foray into England’s top flight. Wenger had spent years moulding a team and a club at Arsenal, but the Frenchman couldn’t see past Abramovich’s cash as the reason behind Chelsea’s surge to the title in the 2004/05 season.

Wenger was often asked about Chelsea and Mourinho in pre and post match press conferences, but the final straw came for Mourinho after Wenger’s comments on Chelsea’s failure to beat Everton and Charlton. Wenger, told BBC Sport that ‘a little bit of the belief’ would leave Chelsea ranks. Mourinho’s response was typically controversial and comical, with the Portuguese telling BBC Sport:

“Wenger has a real problem with us and I think he is what you call in England a voyeur. He is someone who likes to watch other people. There are some guys who, when they are at home, have this big telescope to look into the homes of other people and see what is happening. Wenger must be one of them – and it is a sickness… He’s worried about us, he’s always talking about us. It’s Chelsea, Chelsea, Chelsea, Chelsea”.

Mourinho v Benitez

It all really started between these two after the Champions League semi-final in April 2005. Following Luis Garcia’s ‘goal’, Mourinho was a less than gracious loser:

“It was a goal that came from the moon – from the Anfield stands. The best team lost. After they scored only one team played, the other one just defended for the whole game. Liverpool scored, if you can say that they scored, because maybe you should say the linesman scored.”

In the months that went by, Mourinho was also less than complimentary towards Liverpool’s style of football:

“They have their style of play that you can love or hate but they believe in it.”

However, Benitez wouldn’t let Mourinho get away unscathed, and like Arsene Wenger, failed to praise Mourinho for Chelsea’s success:

“Abramovich has done a fantastic job with this team. When you spend that kind of money you must be top of the table and in cup finals… It is the same in Spain with Real Madrid and Barcelona, and in Italy with Milan and Juventus. After 50 years without a title, they are about to win two in a row.”

When Mourinho finally left Chelsea and England in 2007, Benitez’s attitude towards Mourinho had still not thawed, telling the Daily Telegraph:

“You know my relationship with him so it’s better I don’t say anything”.

There you have it. Even before Rafael was spouting off his ‘facts’ and enjoying a healthy rivalry with Sir Alex, Mourinho had been antagonising the Spaniard to great comic effect for years…

Mourinho v Ancelotti

Following Mourinho’s arrival in Serie A, he wasted little time in alienating himself from his fellow managers in Italy. Following acusations of an Italian conspiracy against himself and his club, Ancelotti was among a host of mangaers ready to have a dig at the self proclaimed ‘Special One’. Ancelotti told Corriere dello Sport:

“Is Mourinho up for my job? We’ve already found someone to replace Costacurta (Filippo Galli), but if we’d known earlier, we could have found him a job. Helping the goalkeeper coach? No, he’s never played football, he wouldn’t be capable of shooting on goal.”

Mourinho’s response however was textbook, telling the same Italian publication:

“I think Ancelotti is forgetting that one of Milan’s most legendary managers, Arrigo Sacchi, never played to any higher standard than me. And my dentist is great, even though he’s never had a toothache…”

Brilliant.

Mourinho v Ferguson

Long before Ferguson and Mourinho began to enjoy intimate meetings, sharing expensive bottles of wine and telling the media how much they respected each other, Mourinho and Sir Alex enjoyed a particularly spicy rivalry. In 2004, on the way to guiding Porto to Champions League glory, Porto knocked Manchester United out of the tournament. Ferguson was angry after the game at Old Trafford, lamenting the fact that Porto goalkeeper Vitor Baia had over-reacted to a challenge by Roy Keane, that saw the Irishman see red. However, Mourinho simply told the Daily Mail:

“I understand why he is a bit emotional. He has some top players in the world and they should be doing a lot better than that. You would be sad if your team gets as clearly dominated by opponents who have been built on 10% of the budget.”

Good old Mourinho. Whatever way you look at it, the Portuguese brought a lot to the Premier League, and perhaps the fact that we are still talking about the ‘special one’ shows that he was in fact, special after all. Mourinho will return to the dug-out and Stamford Bridge once more in two weeks, and there will be little doubt that for once, the star of the show will not be on the pitch, but in a sharp suit, barking orders from the touch line…

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