SEASON SYNDROME...
IS THIS THE BEGINNING OF THE END?
June 2, 2008-May 28, 2010 1 year, 360 days - LEFT Trophies - League title – 2008-09, 2009-10. Italian Cup 2009-10. Champions League 2009-10 The breakdown - After winning the league title in his first season in Italy, Mourinho said he would be interested in taking over at Manchester United when Alex Ferguson retired. Fergie was not yet ready to hang up his boots. In the semi-final of the Champions League, Mourinho’s Inter beat Barcelona, whose fans detest Mourinho. He became involved in a scuffle with Barca keeper Victor Valdes, claiming “antiMadridismo” had motivated Barca fans. Spanish media said that meant Mourinho had passed the test to become the next Real Madrid boss. On May 23, 2010, he responded by saying “if you don’t coach Real Madrid you will always have a gap in your career”. Five days later he filled that gap. REAL MADRID May 31 2010-June 1, 2013 2 years, 2 days - SACKED Trophies - League title 2011-12, Spanish Cup 2010-11 The breakdown - Difficult relationships with Sergio Ramos and captain Iker Casillas were compounded by telling large sections of the media that they hated him. He then claimed that Cristiano Ronaldo “thinks that he knows everything and that the coach cannot improve him any more”. He got into a fight on the sideline by poking Barca assistant Tito Vilanova in the eye during a game. He also complained about referees, journalists, club officials and that Barca got favourable treatment from UEFA. Three days after describing the 2012-13 season as the worst of his career, he was out. CHELSEA June 3, 2013-December 17, 2015 2 years, 197 days - SACKED Trophies - League title 2014-15, League Cup 2014-15 The breakdown - Despite winning the league and League Cup the previous season, his third season back at Chelsea was doomed. On the field it went awry. They took just 11 points from their first 12 games. Off the pitch, things were worse, with three players – Diego Costa, Eden Hazard and Cesc Fabregas – later being labelled the ‘Chelsea rats’ accused of destabilising his reign. By December they had lost nine out of 16 league games and the writing was on the wall. MANCHESTER UNITED May 27, 2016-today 2 years, 65 days - SO FAR Trophies - League Cup 2016-17, Europa League 2016-17 The breakdown - Jose became the first United boss to win a trophy in his debut season when they won the League Cup, followed, a few months later, by the Europa League. But clashes with refs, like Anthony Taylor and Mark Clattenburg, who claimed he quit refereeing in England because of the way Mourinho treated him in a game at Stoke, have never been far away. His inability to get the best out of Paul Pogba and comments on Anthony Martial are sounding familiar.