Another bitter ending for Jose as United wields ax
Old Trafford firing adds to Mourinho’s already long list of acrimonious exits
Jose Mourinho is undoubtedly one of the most successful managers of his generation, yet the manner in which he often leaves a club after delivering success points to why he may never enjoy universal love and acclaim despite a glittering resume.
Mourinho was fired as Manchester United manager on Tuesday following a 3-1 defeat by archrival and Premier League leader Liverpool on the weekend, leaving the club in sixth place in the standings, 19 points off the top.
His departure after two years at Old Trafford, perceived to be his dream role, marked the first time since his days as coach of Portuguese side Uniao de Leiria in 2002 that Mourinho has left a club without winning a domestic league title.
Having made a name for himself by leading Porto to the Champions League crown in 2004, memorably beating Alex Ferguson’s United in the semifinals, Mourinho moved to Chelsea amid a media whirlwind, with many enchanted by his charm.
A duo of Premier League titles and an FA Cup triumph followed, along with three League Cup victories under the self-anointed ‘Special One’.
However, a power struggle with owner Roman Abramovich and the appointment of Avram Grant as director of soccer meant Mourinho’s authority was not absolute.
The situation came to a head in September 2007 when he left the club “by mutual consent”.
He joined Inter Milan in July 2008 and went on to achieve considerable success in a short spell in Italy. Having won Serie A in his first season, Mourinho then led Inter to a remarkable treble in 2010.
That proved enough for Real Madrid to pay out a record-breaking compensation package for a manager to lure Mourinho to the Santiago Bernabeu. However, Mourinho’s style soon came in for intense criticism following a 5-0 defeat by fierce rival Barcelona in his first El Clasico match in November 2010.
Mourinho was to clash on many occasions with the Spanish press, with his relationship deteriorating with the media so much over his three years in Madrid he often resorted to sending his assistants to do news conference duties.
He did lead Madrid to a La Liga title in 2012, in addition to a Copa del Rey the previous year. But defeat in the Copa final of 2013 by city rival Atletico, having spent another year in Barca’s shadow, led Mourinho to call the 2012-13 season “the worst of my career”.
Once again, Mourinho was out of the door “by mutual agreement”.
‘Happy One’
On his return to Chelsea in 2013, he declared himself “the happy one” and set about transforming a Chelsea side that had disappointed the previous year.
He led it to the League Cup and Premier League title in 2015, losing just three league games all season. However, it was not long into his third campaign that the wheels started to come loose.
After a 2-2 draw with lowly Swansea City at Stamford Bridge, Mourinho bizarrely made the decision to publicly deride Chelsea’s medical officials who had rushed on to the pitch to treat Eden Hazard who was on the ground.
The incident led to first-team doctor Eva Carneiro, one of those criticized by Mourinho, to leave the club. She later sued Chelsea for constructive dismissal and accused Mourinho of personally insulting her.
The fallout coincided with a poor run of form and reports of a dressing-room rift emerging, supposedly because of Mourinho’s style.
After losing nine out of 16 Premier League matches, he left Chelsea for a second time “by mutual consent”.
He seemed the perfect man to restore United’s glory days when he was appointed in 2016. He managed that to an extent with a Europa League crown which qualified United for the Champions League.
But, his later United days will be remembered for his public criticism of players, such as Luke Shaw, repeated rows with Paul Pogba and terse news conferences.
Pogba’s parting shot
Following the news of Mourinho’s United firing, Pogba wrote on Instagram “Caption this!” alongside a picture of him smirking quizzically.
The breakdown of Pogba’s relationship with Mourinho has mirrored United’s decline this season.
One of the world’s most talented midfielders, Pogba didn’t even get off the bench in one of the biggest matches of the season against Liverpool on Sunday when United lost 3-1.
Meanwhile, Michael Carrick has taken temporary charge of United as the club searches for a caretaker manager until the end of the season.
The former United and England midfielder joined the club’s coaching staff after retiring from playing in May.