The Special One earns his Spurs
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Jose Mourinho, one of European football’s most successful managers, was yesterday appointed to replace the sacked Mauricio Pochettino at Tottenham Hotspur, with a brief to revive the fortunes of a club languishing in the lower reaches of the Premier League.
The Portuguese, formerly manager to Chelsea, Inter Milan, Real Madrid and Manchester United, signed a contract until the end of the 2022-23 season, the north London club said in a statement.
“I am excited to be joining a club with such a great heritage and such passionate supporters,” said Mourinho, who has won domestic league titles in four countries – Portugal, England, Italy and Spain.
“The quality in both the squad and the academy excites me. Working with these players is what has attracted me.”
Argentine Pochettino, 47, was sacked on Tuesday, with Tottenham struggling in the league after picking up just three wins from their opening 12 games.
He had transformed Spurs’ fortunes after arriving from Southampton in 2014 and although he failed to win a trophy, he took the club to the Champions League final for the first time in their history just six months ago.
This season they were knocked out of the League Cup by fourthtier Colchester United and suffered an embarrassing 7-2 defeat at home to Bayern Munich in the Champions League.
Mourinho, never shy of speaking his mind, famously said: “I am a special one”, when he first arrived in the Premier League to manage Chelsea in 2004.
Spurs chairman Daniel Levy said: “In Jose we have one of the most successful managers in football. He has a wealth of experience, can inspire teams and is a great tactician.
“He has won honours at every club he has coached. We believe he will bring energy and belief to the dressing room.”
Mourinho, 56, won Champions League titles at home with Porto and then in Italy with Inter Milan.
He also won three Premier League titles over two spells in charge of Chelsea and returned to England to manage Manchester United in 2016.
He was sacked in December last year following a poor run and has been without a club since, most recently working as a TV pundit.
His first match in charge will be the London derby at West Ham on Saturday.
Former captain Gary Mabbutt told the BBC that Spurs were forced to act after a poor run.
“I think everyone at the club will always have great affection for Mauricio, but as a board of directors you have to look at the way things are going and the board had to make a decision.”
Despite their recent bad results, Tottenham thrived under Pochettino’s leadership.
They qualified for the Champions League four times, culminating in a dramatic run to the club’s first European Cup final in June, which they lost 2-0 to Liverpool in Madrid.
However, domestic results had been on the decline since February, with Spurs clinging on to a top-four finish last season, despite winning just three of their final 12 league games.
That form has continued this season and Mourinho arrives with the club 11 points outside the Premier League top-four, 20 behind leaders Liverpool and just six points above the relegation zone.
They are well-placed to reach the last-16 of the Champions League despite the Bayern humiliation. –