The Downfall of José Mourinho
It may have taken longer than expected, but José Mourinho has finally been dismissed from his role at Roma. Well, I know that perhaps this is no longer news to you since the announcement came in mid-January. Nonetheless, the Portuguese manager was ultimately released from his three-year contract with the Italian club.
This marks his third sacking in just six years. A manager with an extensive portfolio and one of the most brilliant minds in the history of football, but also known for his excessive arrogance, difficult personality, and issues both on and off the pitch.
As brief as anticipated, José Mourinho’s reign in Rome was certainly far from memorable. A dusty and rigid style of play, his collective press conferences full of bravado and arrogance towards journalists and, as usual, a lesson in how not to behave at a touchline, including that bizarre incident with midfielder Renato Sanches.
He may have a firm seat in the hearts of the Romanists; there’s no disputing that. The European title is an impressive achievement and one which the team has sought for over six decades. But if we’re being honest, his brief period in charge fell short of expectations, both for the club and himself, not unlike his previous jobs.
Restricting investment in the first team was often cited by him as a limiting factor and a reason for his team’s struggles on the pitch. In his favour, it is fair to point out the financial hurdles imposed on a club like Roma and how difficult it is to manage a team with such high expectations under such circumstances. However, he has become so used to leaning on the mismanagement or financial difficulties of his clubs over the years that he appears to have lost the ability to assess his own performance and ability as a manager.
All in all, it has been almost a decade now since José’s last great spell. Back then, he was at the helm of an annoyingly pragmatic Chelsea team that employed a very direct and efficient counter-attacking style of play with a well-known strong defensive system. The season was also characterized by some typical episodes of his persona that have developed over the years, such as the row and insults given to a member of the club’s medical staff during a match, Eva Carneiro — who would later sue the club over the incident — and the infamous exchange of shoves on the touchline with one of his antagonists, Arsène Wenger.
Poor results, a strained relationship with the club’s owner, and a completely lost dressing room led to his dismissal the following season, definitively ending the relationship between the Portuguese coach and the club.
Without much esteem and far from being a unanimous appointment, he would take over another British giant, Manchester United, shortly afterwards. His pragmatism and deteriorating character helped polarize a fan base already disenchanted with the club’s board decisions.
To be straightforward: José Mourinho was certainly not the right man for the job, and if anything, he should never have been considered in the first place. The optimism of part of the fans was due to the relative success of his last works and perhaps a certain affection for his intrepid character.
A team below its greatness, uncompetitive and unattractive. The club’s board did him no favours either, creating a recipe for failure. It was a tumultuous period in his career and a scenario that was starting to become familiar to him. Towards the end of his tenure, fewer people defended his permanence and part of the fan base who supported him in the beginning no longer did so.
After a career sabbatical, he returned to coaching a year after his last sacking. This time, he was appointed as Mauricio Pochettino’s successor at Spurs. For the first time, he took over a team far from the European elite, without many expectations, that found itself in a long ten-year trophy drought. It seemed like the perfect opportunity for him. If there was one man who knew the path to glory, that man was José.
Without the burden of favouritism and media attention, the environment seemed quite promising. The results on the pitch began to fill an anguished fanbase with hope. In a matter of just a few months, he took the club from the bottom half of the table to a legitimate contender for a Champions League spot. Still, the four-month break from playing in Europe due to the pandemic and several injuries to key players in the squad helped to compromise the team’s season. The fans would have to settle for a modest 6th place finish and a spot in the Europa League.
In the following season, he was unable to build on the relatively good performances of his first few months in charge. An apathetic and inconsistent team in general, it couldn’t stand up to even bottom teams in England. He still managed to take the team to a domestic final but was melancholically sacked just days ahead of the big game.
In short, his time in North London doesn’t evoke good feelings from the fans. To be honest, I’d say the only thrilling aspect we can take away from his time as manager of the club was the Amazon documentary series ‘All or Nothing’ — firmly recommend you go watch it right now if you haven’t already.
There is no debate about his importance in the history of football. His approach, his philosophy, and his attitude were all instrumental in shaping the way we view and appreciate the game and must be lauded by storytellers and sports enthusiasts. However, the collective failures that should have brought him learning and humility seem not to have done so, let alone given him a better understanding of his role. As football continues to evolve, new managers emerge, and less and less are we mentioning his name. Consequently, we are now becoming uninterested.
An undisputed manager, but a questionable character. His presumption and imprudence may have jeopardized a long career. And he has no one to blame but himself.
