José Mourinho in the dugout with Real Madrid Self-aggrandisement, backslapping and news from the past: it’s José time Sign up now!
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TUDUM … “You don’t do a documentary with a guy who wins nothing,” parps José Mourinho during the trailer for his shiny, new Netflix film, although since 2017, his sole piece of silverware is the 2021-22 Tin Pot with Roma.
And while his failure to win anything with Tottenham, Fenerbahce or Benfica didn’t exactly – on paper, at least – make him the most obvious candidate as the author of that opening quote, neither does he immediately feel like the best man to put Florentino Pérez’s Death Star back on course in Madrid.
And yet, here we are.
Just like the cagey 1-0 wins at Chelsea after which Mourinho would come out and explain that his team played like Brazil ‘82, the Portuguese has willed the narrative into existence: Mourinho is, apparently, one of the best managers on the planet and his documentary, in which lots of retired talking heads will wax lyrical about his achievements 20 years ago, finds its way to your screens on Tuesday.
And it will be lapped up.
Partly because of the warm glow of nostalgia, partly because pretty much everyone in the northern hemisphere can’t bear to be outside in this heat, and partly because, for a good few years, Mourinho really was the best thing since Steffi Graf’s sliced backhand: at Porto, at Chelsea, at Inter and yes, even sometimes at Madrid.
Amid all the pomp, the self-aggrandisement and the backslapping, the documentary does include a few nice little nuggets from the past, namely Mourinho’s claim that he was in line to replace Alex Ferguson as manager of Manchester United in 2013, before tearfully pulling out at the last minute.
“I go to Chelsea in 2013 but in that period there is something nobody knows,” he teases.
“When I left Real Madrid [the first time], I signed with Manchester United to go to United after Sir Alex.” Ferguson, also part of the doc, adds: “He phoned me and he was crying.
And he says: ‘Alex, I can’t take it – I’ve given my word to Chelsea, and I’m not going to break my word.’ The reason he gave to me I could understand, but I was disappointed.” While some cynics would argue that simultaenously signing a contract with United and giving Chelsea his word before spontaneously bursting into tears is exactly the sort of illicit chaos that Mourinho became famous for, few would argue that he remains absolutely box office, win, lose or draw.
Roll on Real Madrid, then, famously a serene meadow of footballing tranquillity where ego, pressure and scrutiny do not dare to darken the door.
Netflix would be wise to get the cameras back in; this season would make one heck of a documentary.
QUOTE OF THE DAY “It’s 15 years of frustration here at this club.
Nobody knows that more than me … Every Rangers team is a byproduct of that frustration.
The Rangers fans just want to see their team winning and so do I.
And we will get there.
I’m not going to ask the fans for more patience because I think the Rangers fans have been patient enough” – Derek McInnes there, now very much under the pump after his team slumped five points behind Celtic in the Scottish Premiership after just two games, losing 2-1 to Hibs at Ibrox.
Early-season dejection scenes at Ibrox.
FOOTBALL DAILY LETTERS Having boycotted the Geopolitics World Cup due to my dislike of Fifa, Infantino, Trump, etc and therefore having nothing to write about, I’m now ready to pick up my quill and parchment once more.
Even allowing for my team, Hearts’, disjointed recent hire and exits, I do think we have had incredibly bad luck in all our European draws.
First it was Sturm Graz, now Benfica, and next, in Tin Pot, it seems likely we’ll get Rapid Vienna.
I’ve actually heard of every one of these teams.
Why couldn’t we have got some other made-up team from an even worse league than the Scottish Premiership?
Or is getting out of Europe before the end of August the only thing that might help us in the league?” – Ken Muir.
I enjoyed the link to the Rivaldo article from 2002 (Friday’s Football Daily).
It came complete with the quaint idea that a Serie A giant with Big Cup football could offer more wages than Spurs.
Anyone under 30 would find the idea laughable” – Dave Lambley.
How beautiful St James’ Park was (Friday’s Memory Lane, full email edition).
It really did remind me of the old Luigi Ferraris, where I spent nearly every Sunday in the early 80s.
My mate was supporting the cyclists (Sampdoria) and me, of course, Genoa … we were taking each other to the home matches.
I only went once to the one rebuilt for Italia 90 and found it so ugly and soulless.
Some background in one of the local TV archives” – Giuseppe.
If you have any, please send letters to the.boss@theguardian.com.
Today’s letter o’ the day winner is … Dave Lambley, who gets some Football Weekly merch.
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