Some adore him. Others loathe him. Some respect him. Others view him with disdain. But regardless of what side one is on when it comes to Jose Mourinho, one thing is certain: no one can describe him as an utter failure. Sure, the Portuguese tactician is now out of work after being sacked by Chelsea, but a look at his glittering CV will show a man who has tasted success in four different leagues, three of which are considered among Europe's "Big 5". And with growing rumors that he may be set for yet another spell in England - this time with Manchester United - the question becomes: Will we see a "different" Mourinho this time around?
A surprise win in the Champions League with Porto...and "The Special One" was born
In 2004, Porto won the Primeira Liga title, but more important, were crowned champions of Europe after defeating Monaco 3-0 in the Champions League final. No one had expected that season's final to be contested between these two sides, but under Mourinho, Porto successfully navigated through tough tests against sides like Manchester United and Lyon to clinch their first European title since first winning it 17 years ago in 1987.
Under Mourinho, Porto finally ended their 17 year wait for a Champions League trophy
This impressive feat was achieved in only his second season with the club and as a result, Mourinho quickly became one of the most in-demand managers in Europe. Chelsea were the side to snap him up, and it was at that famous press conference that his moniker, "The Special One" was born. According to reports, this resulted from his own statement: "Please don't call me arrogant, but I'm European champion and I think I'm a special one".
From London to Milan to Madrid: A whole haul of silverware and a historic Treble
Mourinho's first season at Stamford Bridge was pretty successful, both for him at a personal level and for the club. In winning the Premier League in 2005 and again in 2006, he now could lay claim to having won four straight league titles starting in 2002 with Porto. Meanwhile, for Chelsea, their triumph at the end of the 2004/2005 season finally ended a 50 year wait to be crowned champions of England.
The Blues would go on to retain their league title in the following campaign, and overall, during his first spell with the London giants, Mourinho won a total of six trophies. This made him - and still stands true today - the most successful manager in the team's history, but a falling out with manager Roman Abramovich saw him depart abruptly in September 2007.
Mourinho guided Chelsea to their first Premier League win in 50 years when he won the title in 2005 and again in 2006
Nine months later, he was unveiled as the new coach of Inter Milan, and it was with the Nerazzurri that he would make history. During the 2009/2010 season, Inter won the Scudetto, the Coppa Italia, and most significant, the Champions League, making them the first ever Italian side to achieve the coveted Treble. To date, no Serie A side has managed to do this, with Massimiliano Allegri nearly doing so last season when he led Juventus to the Champions League final, only to see the Bianconeri lose 3-1 to Barcelona.
Inter Milan are the first - and only - Italian team to have won the Treble, achieving this in 2010
In any case, Mourinho's reputation as "The Special One" was further enhanced by his success in Italy, namely winning his second Champions League title in just six years. Unfortunately for Nerazzurri fans, he opted to depart Italy's fashion capital for Spain, and since then, they have not won a European title, let alone another Scudetto.
However, few can resist the call of Real Madrid, where his clashes with the team's arch-rivals Barcelona provided plenty of material for the gossip magazines and meetings between the two La Liga giants became more than just games, they were outright wars. Like with his previous three teams, Mourinho won a league title with the capital side, and three trophies in total, but was soon back to a familiar ground three years later.
Back to England: Success...then disappointment at Stamford Bridge
Despite apparently departing Stamford Bridge on rather acrimonious terms, Mourinho returned for a second spell with Chelsea and in his second season, won his third Premier League trophy. However, this current campaign was nothing short of a disaster, and even now, the Blues are still struggling to crack the top ten, let alone remotely threaten the top four sides or mount a successful defense of their league title.
And not surprisingly, Mourinho was dismissed last December after the Chelsea hierarchy decided that they had enough. Nonetheless, this blemish has not prevented him for still being one of the most sought out managers in Europe. Shortly after his departure, Italian reports claimed that Roma, who were struggling in the league made an approach for his services - only to be rebuffed. Some claimed it was due to his strong ties with Inter; others speculated that he wanted to keep himself available for the position he has apparently coveted for some time with another English powerhouse.
Would an arrival at Old Trafford really humble Mourinho?
Many of Mourinho's detractors call him arrogant, brash, abrasive. But in all fairness, just take a look at his accomplishments over the past decade or so.
He has won league titles in four different countries; for one team - Chelsea - he has won three out of their five Premier League trophies. He has lifted the Champions League twice with sides - Porto and Inter - that were not viewed as heavy favorites to make it to the final. Over the span of nine years - between 2003 and 2012 - he did not go a single campaign sans winning at least one trophy.
It's often said that in order to succeed, one has to have a strong sense of self-belief; otherwise, how would one expect others to have faith in them and their project? In any case, he has been linked with a swift return to the footballing stage, with Manchester United touted as his next destination. Should that happen, he will be taking over from former mentor Louis Van Gaal, but more significant, set the stage for yet another interesting rivalry between himself and Pep Guardiola, who will be managing Manchester City next season.
Mourinho's name has repeatedly surfaced in the press to take over from Van Gaal at Old Trafford
Having experienced the highs of success and the lows of disappointment with Chelsea during his second spell, would fans see a humbled Jose Mourinho? Will "The Special One" give way to "The Humble One"?
Probably not. For starters, his seemingly brash style is what has helped him become one of the game's most decorated managers. Sure, he might tone it down a bit, especially in his barbed exchanges with the press, but expect to see quite a few aspects of the same Mourinho, albeit with some modifications. He may show a tad more grace and yes, perhaps humility as apparently his attitude is what has caused some of Manchester United's executive board to be hesitant on making him their next manager.
But all in all, should he get the position, fans should expect to see the Premier League - and especially the Manchester Derbies - to be quite the interesting spectacle next season.
