Jose Mourinho - Where Next for the 'Special One'?

The saying ‘Good things come to those who wait’ has been the focal point of advertising campaigns by Guinness for many years, and with much success. The point of the slogan is that, according to experts, the perfect pint of Guiness takes exactly 119.5 seconds to pour, and in striving for dry stout perfection this process cannot be rushed. Quite how these ‘experts’ established this fact I have no idea, but they must have had a wail of a time in doing so. Past adverts have starred an elderly swimmer, a surfer and three men in reverse evolution. If the advertising moguls at Guinness happen to be seeking someone new to spearhead a fresh campaign though, they really need look no further than the ‘Special One.’

Because while Guinness marketed the idea expertly, Jose Mourinho has practised it to similar perfection. Since leaving Chelsea in rather acrimonious circumstances back in September 2007 he has bided his time and waited patiently for a new role, resisting the lure of several jobs that, while appealing, may not have suited him. Like Bayern Munich for example. Such restraint now looks set to reap rewards. In coaching terms Mourinho has become Europe’s hottest property, and with many of football’s aristocracy already throwing longing glances at the Portuguese manager he is set to become the most coveted asset in the game this summer - centre stage once again with his soapbox firmly back in position.

A glance at the managerial situations at some of Europe’s elite clubs hints that, in the summer of 2008, good coaches will be as voraciously sought-after as good players. Spain is as good a place to start as any. Here there has been talk of Mourinho arriving at a top club ever since he left Stamford Bridge. At the time, with freshly crowned champions Real Madrid led by Bernd Schuster and Barcelona waiting to see how Thierry Henry would fit into their sea of attacking talents, the rumours emanated most strongly from the province of Castellón, where it was suggested that the former Chelsea man was being lined up to replace Quique Sanchez Flores at Valencia. Los Ches were performing dreadfully at the time, as they have all season, but when Sanchez Flores was eventually sacked talk of the cocky Portuguese coach pitching up at the Mestalla proved way off the mark. Ronald Koeman was appointed instead.

Since then the prospect of Mourinho heading to Spain has failed to cease. Barcelona, struggle as they have to overhaul bitter rivals Real Madrid in the title race, seem to be forever shrugging off speculation about Frank Rijkaard’s managerial position. The doubters consider him too placid to deal effectively with a plethora of footballing demi-gods; others say he is too lenient and cite his relaxed approach to players’ training regimes as a key reason for Barca’s shortcomings. Therefore, as the antithesis of the calm Dutchman, Mourinho is often suggested as the perfect replacement. Hard-lined, meticulous and unyielding almost to the point of fussiness, the Catalans’ former translator and erstwhile hate figure is now looked upon by some as a potential saviour - the perfect antidote to the Rijkaard approach.

In Real Madrid’s case Mourinho’s one-time status as enemy of Catalunya only adds to his appeal. Though likely to retain La Liga, Los Merengues are notoriously difficult to please – just ask Fabio Capello. Bernd Schuster has proved able but even though they will probably win the league and with more attacking flair than was the case under Capello, Real are just never satisfied. Defeat to AS Roma in the last sixteen of the Champions League hurt the club dearly, and it is thought that while Schuster’s appointment was the choice of chairman Ramon Calderon, the German has won few other friends during his managerial tenure at the club. ‘I am not concerned because all the speculation stems from outside club doors. I’m not worried’ the wily German commented amidst the reports that Real’s board have already met with the Portuguese coach. Unfortunately for Schuster it seems certain he will fulfil but one year of his contract, and for a club that desperately craves European success it seems the ‘Special One’ – already a one-time winner of the competition, tops the list of potential replacements alongside Rafa Benitez.

Incidentally it is Benitez and his recent efforts in the San Siro that may have opened up the door of another European giant for Mourinho to consider. Following Inter Milan’s defeat to Liverpool in the last sixteen of the Champions League, coach Roberto Mancini sensationally announced during a news conference that he was to quit the club. Although he has since withdrawn his resignation, whispers that the ultra-confident former Chelsea man would be installed as number one at the end of the season soon became deafening murmurs in Italy, and Mourinho’s personal advisor has been very keen to publicly quash such talk, albeit unsuccessfully.

Managerial uncertainty also pervades in the red and black half of Milan. By and large it has been a year to forget for the Rossoneri, and their limp league campaign was further compounded by a premature exit from the Champions League at the hands of Arsenal. While AC Milan are notoriously inward looking and prefer to draw managers from those already ingrained into the culture of the club, it looks increasingly likely that Milan president Silvio Berlusconi will favour a change of direction at the San Siro in the summer. Rumours are abound that Carlo Ancelotti will be asked to move upstairs into a director of football role and should this be the case Mourinho would be a prime candidate to replace him. Such a position one imagines would also appeal greatly to Mourinho’s romantic side, and the prospect of initiation into the Milan family might just sway his decision. It could also see him reunited with Didier Drogba, a man he admires like a son.

Despite great interest in him however, the so-called ‘Special One’ is far from flawless. The eternal question mark hanging over him, of course, is his preferred style of play. No doubt a man with exceptional coaching abilities and a proven accumulator of trophies, the one gripe acknowledged by many is his tendency to be over-cautious at the expense of carefree attacking football. A goal lead for Mourinho is often enough, and at times his tactics only serve to smother exciting play, making matches sometimes rather dull. For clubs with an inherently attacking mindset – the likes of Barca and Real for example, his way is at odds with their philosophy and may cause some chairmen to think twice before making the call. Additionally he is nothing if not an attention seeker, which may defer or attract him to clubs depending on their agenda.

Speculation about the future of Jose Mourinho is like Paris Hilton at an awards bash – never hard to find. As we approach the end of the season however one thing is clear. For this brash Portuguese character the wait is almost over. The good things are on their way.