Will the Special One ever return?

Is there another manager who divides opinion like Jose Mourinho does? On the one side, he is one of the most charismatic and successful football managers in football history. On the other, he has fallen so far from grace that it almost feels as if he needs saving. After refusing to deviate from his usual methods, the 58-year-old was brutally fired from his job at Tottenham Hotspur a week before a crucial cup final, leaving many confused and curious as to what could have made

Why is he so widely revered?

A young and strapping Mourinho first gaine d notorie ty following his incre dible two and a half se asons in charge of Portugue se giants Porto, with whom he famously lifte d the UEFA Champions Le ague trophy in the 2003/04 se ason, but it was only when he was announce d as Che lse a manage r on 2 June 2004 that the forme r FC Barce lona translator be gan to attract worldwide atte ntion. Mourinho blurre d the line that se parate s confide nce and arrogance , and was funny and sharp in his answe rs to journalists, who, at the time , had no ide a that the man be fore the m would go on to be come a massive part of the ir profe ssional live s for the ne xt 20 ye ars. While little was known about him globally, two things we re cle ar: Mourinho backe d himse lf and was inte ntionally going to shake up the status quo. During his first-e ve r pre ss confe re nce as Blue s boss, while discussing his cre de ntials, Mourinho spoke about himse lf in such a unique way that it would follow him around for the re st of his care e r. He said: “I have to say this, we have top playe rs. I am sorry if I am a bit arrogant, we have a top manage r. I am Europe an champion, I am not one of the bottle . I think I am a spe cial one . “From that mome nt, English football was marrie d to his charm and shre wdne ss, and although that re lationship was be e n bruise d many time s, the re is still an unconditional adoration fe lt for Mourinho. He is a manage r who stirs the pot, he is the villain, a disruptor, se nt by the football gods to disturb the natural orde r. Prior to his arrival on the sce ne , Sir Ale x Fe rguson and Arse ne We nge r had ce le brate d 11 le ague title s be twe e n the m since the 1992/93 se ason, but the gate was crashe d. Mourinho e nte re d the room and imme diate ly turne d he ads by winning the Pre mie r Le ague and Le ague Cup in his de but se ason. Afte r adding a third pie ce of silve rware in the form of the FA Community Shie ld at the start of the ne xt campaign, Mourinho claime d a se cond succe ssive le ague title , and, while he was unable to win it a third time in a row, he did ce le brate FA Cup and Le ague Cup triumph in his third se ason as Che lse a manage r during his first spe ll in charge be fore parting ways with the club une xpe cte dly in Se pte mbe r 2007. club chairman Daniel Levy pull the trigger when he did. Tellingly, though, nobody questioned whether or not the Lilywhites had made the correct call in cutting ties with the twotime UEFA Champions League winner, who is now set to work as a pundit until at least the start of next season. Soccer Laduma international journalist Kurt Buckerfield analyses where it has gone wrong for the once-spellbinding Mourinho.

An ability to galvanise

Ove r time , ce rtain manage rs be come associate d with ce rtain traits, characte ristics and ide as. At Manche ste r Unite d, Fe rguson was wide ly haile d for his e xce lle nt man-manage me nt skills, for knowing which playe rs he could ye ll at during half-time te am talks and which playe rs he ne e de d to motivate in othe r ways. At Arse nal, We nge r was the inspire d tactician, the manage r obse sse d with a posse ssion-base d and attractive style of football his te am would ne ve r ste e r away from. While both we re e xce lle nt at much more , it was in the se are as that the y truly displaye d the ir authe nticity and distinctive ne ss. Mourinho, while having be come synonymous with de fe nsive football ove r his many ye ars in the game , was unique in the way in which he rounde d his troops and pre pare d the m for battle . He was se ductive and convincing. It was a sie ge me ntality. He was cult le ade r-like and e ve ry single football fan around the world was a followe r, while his playe rs we re re ady to run through walls for him. In his 2011 autobiography title d I Am Zlatan Ibrahimovic, the 1.95m tall Swe de e xplaine d his admiration for Mourinho, saying: “That guy says whate ve r he wants. I like him. He ’s the le ade r of his army. But he care s, too. He would te xt me all the time at Inte r, wonde ring how I was doing.” He also state d that “Mourinho would be come a guy I was basically willing to die for”. Othe r forme r playe rs of his, such as John Te rry, Frank Lampard, De co,

Samue l Eto’o and We sle y Sne ijde r have share d similar se ntime nts, with the latte r te lling one particular story that might e ncapsulate the hold the Portugue se has on those who have worke d with him, particularly in his first de cade of manage me nt. In 2020, the Dutchman re ve ale d: “I was alone in Milan and my girl was in Amste rdam. Whe n he he ard this, he said I should jump on the plane and se e he r for a fe w days. Jose told me to be back on Friday and whe n I told him we had a game on Saturday, he said, ‘Exactly – and you are going to play out of your skin for me ’. What a brilliant boss. Mourinho and I we re one .” The re are hundre ds of ane cdote s like the se , accounts that bring back fond me morie s and iconic image s, of Che lse a fans be ing utte rly distraught by the club’s de cision to part ways with him in 2007, of Mourinho jumping out of a car to hug and hold a sobbing Marco Mate razzi afte r Inte r Milan won the 2009/10 UEFA Champions Le ague final against Baye rn Munich to comple te an historic tre ble , of fie ry El Clasicos playe d be twe e n Re al Madrid and FC Barce lona, with Mourinho ve ry much the main instigator of all on-fie ld fights and fallouts. Playe rs we nt to war for him be cause his trust and re spe ct was more important than anyone e lse ’s.

Why the sudden drop-off?

In 2013, afte r Re al Madrid pre side nt Flore ntino Pe re z opte d to take the club in a diffe re nt dire ction, Mourinho made a stunning and e xciting re turn to Che lse a. Fans he ld up banne rs and tre ate d it as a home coming, which, in many ways, it was. Mourinho’s Blue s finishe d third in the first se ason of his se cond spe ll in charge but claime d both the Pre mie r Le ague title and Le ague Cup trophy in the following campaign, with the boss subse que ntly be ing name d Pre mie r Le ague Manage r of the Se ason and his side losing only thre e le ague matche s out of the ir 38 game s. The n, things be gan to unrave l. Afte r a frustrating transfe r window in which Che lse a faile d to sign Mourinho’s pre fe rre d transfe r targe ts, name ly Juve ntus’ Paul Pogba and Eve rton’s John Stone s, the Portugue se he ade d into the 2015/16 campaign fe e ling frustrate d with the club’s board, who, inste ad of landing the signature s of those on his shortlist, brought in an injury-plague d Radame l Falcao, back-up goalke e pe r Asmir Be govic, wantaway FC Barce lona winge r Pe dro Rodrigue z and de fe nde rs Papy Djilobodji and Baba Rahman. Afte r poor re sults and pe rformance s e arly on, pre ssure be gan to mount on Mourinho, which appe are d to bring out a side in the Portugue se that had not be e n se e n ofte n as he se e mingly be came more willing to throw his playe rs unde r the bus than in pre vious se asons, and publicly too. The re was some thing diffe re nt about his manne risms; it looke d as if he was carrying the we ight of the world on his shoulde rs. Matte rs we nt from bad to worse whe n he fe ll out with te am doctor Eva Carne iro, who, along with anothe r staff me mbe r Jon Fe arn, rushe d on to the fie ld during a le ague match against Swanse a to tre at supe rstar Ede n Hazard, who appe are d injure d, whe n Mourinho fe lt it was unne ce ssary. Che lse a, in addition, we re alre ady a man down having had a playe r se nt off, me aning the Blue s had just nine playe rs on the fie ld during the time the winge r was be ing looke d afte r. Mourinho labe lle d the pair “impulsive and naive ” and e ve n downgrade d the ir dutie s. While he late r admitte d to shouting “son of a b **** ” towards Carne iro and Fe arn, the incide nt brought Mourinho a lot of ne gative atte ntion in an alre ady calamitous campaign and might have ultimate ly be e n the final nail in the coffin. Following that e ve nt, playe rs se e me d le ss re sponsive to the Portugue se , with Che lse a announcing his sacking in De ce mbe r 2015.

A similar theme at United and Spurs

While he claime d silve rware during his two and a half ye ar re ign as Manche ste r Unite d boss, his time at Old Trafford also e nde d in a blaze . The atmosphe re around the first-te am dre ssing room be came toxic following a numbe r of high-profile fallouts, including with Fre nch midfie lde r Pogba, and his approach to football was de e me d unsuitable to the club. Although winning the Carabao Cup and UEFA Europa Le ague was re ason to ce le brate e arly in his Re d De vils te nure , fans ultimate ly gre w tire d and bore d of the te am’s pe rformance s unde r Mourinho and we re ge ne rally relieved to see him gone whe n the club made the de cision to part ways with him in De ce mbe r 2018, and, sadly, this se e ms to be how Spurs supporte rs fe lt whe n the Lilywhite s announce d Mourinho’s sacking in April. The de cision came as a shock due to it be ing a we e k be fore the Carabao Cup final, but that was the e xte nt of the surprise . Like during his time at Che lse a and Unite d, Mourinho had be gun to take harsh jabs at his own playe rs in pre ss confe re nce s and appe are d to lose his ability to galvanise a squad, with in-fighting appare nt from the outside . Big name s in the dre ssing room we re re porte dly growing annoye d with his training me thods, which was said to not include a focus on attack. Days afte r chairman Danie l Le vy announce d Mourinho’s dismissal, Gare th Bale publicly said: “We want to attack. We ’re a big te am, we have gre at playe rs and we ne e d to attack more ”, le aving ve ry little to the imagination. The y we re happy to se e him le ave , which might not have be e n the care e r traje ctory the footballing world would have se e n for Mourinho a de cade ago.

coaches “plumbers”. Now and again, Rhulani suffers from a slip of the tongue. After Chiefs’ recent win over Sundowns, Mngqithi made a bad statement about Chiefs. One cannot wait for pre- and post-match interviews for Sundowns v Ahly. These three coaches must learn from Steve “Koloi” Komphela, who is a downto-earth coach. I give respect where it’s due. Danny Moreo, Segakwana village, Moruleng

AMAZULU IN SEVENTH HEAVEN

Well done, Benni. Those who doubted your ability will now take you seriously. I wish you can sign for Pirates next season since we don’t have a coach. Hats off to the AmaZulu FC players for showing that they want to play for you and to the technical team, not forgetting the management since everybody can see week in and week out that they are there to show support. Stephen Mpya, Mamphulo village

AmaZulu FC are playing very well. Thanks to Benni and his technical team for the great job they are doing. They are title contenders, but after Sundowns beat Pirates on Sunday, Usuthu’s chances of winning the league are very slim now. I was hoping Pirates were going to beat Sundowns or at least play a draw. Unfortunately, they lost, but let us wait and see who will be crowned DStv Premiership champions come end of the season. Musa Zondi, Newtown, Tongaat

The moon and the sun do not compete because they shine at different seasons. We must accept that this is the season of KwaZulu-Natal to shine with the resurgence of Benni and Ncikazi. AmaZulu FC and Arrows are league contenders. Who ever thought the young Benni, without experience (with AmaZulu being his second team), could perform such exploits? Who ever thought after 25 games, AmaZulu would be number one on 50 points? We do not care whether AmaZulu win the league or not, but Benni has proved that local coaches can perform if given the chance. We need to give credit to Sandile Zungu for supporting the technical team. The mandate was for the technical team to achieve a top four spot in the league. Now the team is breathing on the neck of the three Sundowns coaches. Wow. Evangelist Peter Makwela, K lipgat

We have every reason to be incredibly proud of AmaZulu FC, its values and what it stands for. I have no doubt that our loud voices at the stadiums would have made a huge difference. To chairman Mr Sandile Zungu, the coaches, players, and everyone involved, you have not only achieved for yourself but have written a new chapter in AmaZulu’s history. You have created a team that performs in true “AmaZulu” style. Players have the fire and determination to get the job done and it’s testimony that working hard as a team with one vision truly wins in the end. Unlike Chiefs players who don’t even understand what they are doing on the field. It would be remiss of me not to acknowledge the chairman for his belief in our legend, Benni McCarthy. His maturity, experience and knowledge of the game have played a pivotal role in AmaZulu’s incredible achievement. Heeeeeebe! Usuthu! “Bhotsotso” Mkhize, Eshowe, Mpaphala, K ZN

AmaZulu FC are in top form. I want to applaud the Usuthu management for appoint Benni as the gaffer. For the Coach of the Season, I go for the erstwhile FC Porto player. His is a master tactician, good in reading the game and also spot on with his substitutions. Benni has a bright future in coaching. Batsho Batistuta Nkhwa, Nkange, Botswana

BENNI GOING, GOING,

GONE? If it’s true that Benni is the next Bafana coach, I don’t see our national team going anywhere. The current SAFA staff are clueless. Yes, McCarthy is a good coach, but he’s too young, as far as coaching is concerned, to coach a national team. Granted, he is doing well at his current job, but that doesn’t mean that he fits the Bafana seat. SAFA must give Benni two to three seasons at AmaZulu FC and judge him from there. He started well even at Cape Town City, but look where it ended. Even here, it will end in tears. I have nothing against Benni begin a Bafana coach, but not this time. Nghamula Rikhotso-Nkonwana, K a Mageva

If SAFA have decided to give son of the soil McCarthy the plum job of coaching Bafana, so let it be. We will give him our full support. There are signs that he will do well given the achievements at his present team, without big-name stars. Besides, he has played the game at the highest level and is also our highest achieving former Bafana player. Furthermore, Benni is brave, an achiever, arrogant, clever and very temperamental, which will give him the edge in this tough job. Not all successful players become successful coaches, but in this instance, I put my head on the block that Benni will come up tops. Look at the achievements of coaches like Zidane. Nigeria gave the late Keshi the job to coach the Super Eagles without any international experience and he won the Afcon with them. If we could give Santana and Baxter the national job without any prior experience at that level, surely we can give our own the same opportunity. The biggest thing is not to pressurise Benny to qualify for the 2022 World Cup as it is too late for that. But then again, he will qualify for this World Cup whether given the mandate or not. I wish Benni all the luck and will support him through the journey of coaching Bafana. Thabang Lehoko, via email

If it’s true Benni is going to be our new coach, then it’s good news, but the timing is wrong. Benni is a hardworking coach and very impressive. Everyone saw what he did at Cape Town City, where he won a trophy. Now he’s taken AmaZulu FC and changed them from relegation candidates to championship material in just a few months after joining. Now, joining Bafana at this time is going to be very challenging. We are going to expect him to hit the ground running and qualify for the World Cup, unless we give him time to build his team for the future. As South Africans, we are not patient, especially with our own coaches. Once Benni fails to qualify for the World Cup, we will be calling him names, forgetting that he would only have been a few months into the job. I wish we can give him time and not expect him to qualify for the World Cup, but to build the team for the future. I just feel sorry for AmaZulu FC because they have to start from scratch again. Good luck, Benni. Linda Wa Le Pirates, Thabaleboto

Quick One-Two’s

I couldn’t believe it when coach Benni said he wished Pirates would do the country a favour. Are Sundowns the enemy of the country? Sundowns are behind AmaZulu by two games and we are familiar with pressure. We have never won the league in marshmallows style, we fought hard for all of them. I thought people would remember that and leave Downs alone. Benni is a coach who believes in working hard, but he is dreaming if he thinks they are in with a good chance of taking the title. Pirates knew that we were desperate for the three points but decided to use their weakest link Hlatshwayo at the back. He gave us three points and we couldn’t be happier. Terah Maqepula, Mount Fletcher

What Sundowns did to Pirates is a big warning to their cousin Chiefs that next time when we meet, there won’t be lucky goals like in the previous game where Chiefs beat us 2-1. It’s going to be a calamity, watch the space. Mrs Thifhelimbilu Magaba, Mvelaphanda

Let me start by congratulating my beloved team Mamelodi Sundowns for the job well done. Beating a big team like Pirates is not pap ‘n vleis. Sundowns played very well in both the first and second half and deserved to win. Coach Benni must chill because he won’t be winning the DStv Premiership now. He must keep on doing the great job at AmaZulu. I have no doubt that we are definitely going to win the league. It will require three wins from now and we take the league for the fourth time in succession. As I mentioned before, my Player of the Season is Peter Shalulile and I think he’s on right track to win that award. Well done to the coaches and all the players. Nkanukeni Magaba, Mvelaphanda

Thank you Masandawana for the win on Sunday afternoon. The race is still on, but we’re closer to the finishing line. We still don’t know yet who will be crowned as the champions at the end of this month. All we need now is to stay focused on the remaining games and make sure that we try to collect every single point we get. It won’t be easy, but we have to give our best. Thanks once again, Downs. Last week, I prayed that we don’t draw against Chiefs in the CAF Champions League quarterfinals. God gave us Mr Pitso “Jingles” Mosimane. Wow, we will see! I can’t wait to see one of the PSL teams going through to the final and I wish both Sundowns and Chiefs all of the best, as well as Pirates in the Confed Cup. Good luck, guys. Waya-waya Maxazi Chicago, Mooiplaas

I’m a Chiefs fan, but truth be told, Sundowns are in good form and need to be applauded. Yes, we made sure they register their first defeat of the season and, of course, we did it for our own sake as everyone can see that things aren’t going well for us. We’ve caused a bit of a delay for them, but they are still the favourites to lift the title. AmaZulu are doing well

but they stand a very slim chance of causing an upset. I can only guarantee them a CAF Champions League spot. Congratulations to McCarthy for taking AmaZulu this far. As for Sundowns, they’re a strong team. As a rival fan, I just thought it would be fair to swallow my pride and give credit where it’s due. I think every South African football fanatic can clearly see that the sky is indeed the limit for the Chloorkop-based outfit. Shadrack, Meshack and Abednego have done a fantastic job and deserve all the credit. This is their season and I think they must just enjoy being the best team in the PSL for the 2020/21 season. Together with their in-form soldiers, they deserve a very big round of applause. They fought very hard to be where they are today and I wish them all the best in the CAF Champions League. Letladi wa Ga-Mphahlele, Maralaleng

The failed composition of the European Super League is as a result of English fans. The fans showed that they have a say in competitive football, despite the fact that what was being mooted was a lucrative billions-sponsored Super League. Why can’t South Africans fans fight their way and fix this arrogant SAFA management that does things as they wish? Now they can’t do a simple job of appointing a Bafana Bafana coach, citing COVID-19 traveling restrictions. One wonders if SAFA ever thinks about the nation. I am one of the people who believes that the current SAFA leadership structure must be dissolved. I would very much want to know how the fans from England went about fighting the attempted European Super League formation. The less said about my Kaizer “stop and go” Chiefs, the better. Mpho Mathibela, via email

The Premier League in England is fast evolving, and being restricted to four Champions League representatives (clubs) is arresting its evolution. Football in Spain can pose the same argument, with LaLiga producing winning teams in European club competitions in the last decade. This is the same fight Africa has been fighting with FIFA, which is to have more representatives in the World Cup. It might be these “Super League Clubs” want more representatives (clubs) in the Champions League. UEFA should grant them six guaranteed slots for the Champions League in exchange for the leagues’ two representatives in the Europa League. This should offer Super League football and create more competition in the domestic leagues. UEFA announced plans for a reformatted 2024/25 Champions League with 36 teams and a minimum of 10 group matches. This whole situation would have been avoided under Michel Platini. European football is divided on the path to its future, where the President of the association wants to use the might of the powerful clubs to grow football in smaller nations. The rapid growth of South African football with more investment in technical staff should lead our clubs to demand more CAF Champions League (four) representatives. Vuyolwethu Matsolo, via email

Talk about a delicious Durban derby. It was a competitive match between Arrows and AmaZulu, and congrats to Usuthu for their crucial win. Both Ncikazi and McCarthy have been doing wonders with their respective teams. Former school teacher Ncikazi is one of the Beautiful Game’s unsung heroes. On other hand, McCarthy’s coaching acumen to re-invent his current side has exceeded all manner of expectation. He’s increasingly becoming one of the rarest assets in local football and following in the footsteps of Zidane, who is leaving as much of a mark as a coach just as he was as a player. Swallows FC should not be left out of this conversation. The Birds have mesmerised all and sundry with their rise from the football ashes to being a force to reckon with in the PSL, although their performances have been tainted by draw after draw. The common denominator between the three teams is that they are made up of mostly modest players who are confidently working together as a team. They are sending a good message to other teams that the collective is more profitable than individual brilliance. Let me also congratulate the Buccaneers for reaching the CAF Confederation Cup quarterfinals. They are in a favourable position by virtue of having traversed this path before, marching to the final under Tinkler in 2015. This should inspire the current squad to go one better. Batsirai Kativu, Johannesburg

I want to commend coach Manqoba for his post-match comments after the Sundowns v Pirates game. Being that respectful to Pirates shows the disciplinarian he is and I take my hat off for him. Talking of coaches, I think Doctor Khumalo was wrong about Hlatshwayo not seeing his marker and that Nyauza should have cautioned him. For me, that is not right, Mr Khumalo. In a professional league, you should not have someone closing you down to a point where they take the ball from your feet and yet you say, “I did not see him.” Please, guys, this is competitive football, not table tennis. Another thing I want to make clear is that South Africa doesn’t have a football system or identity and we never had that. Secondly, shibobos and tsamayas of yesteryear footballers (like Doc) were great at that time, but we are in 2021 now and football has changed a lot. Lastly, when people talk about giving players feedback on the field, they think about players being allowed to do anything they like with the ball, such as your shibobos, but as for me, I want us to change our