Who, among football lovers, and not only, has never heard of Jose Mario Dos Santos Mourinho Felix? Well, perhaps with his full name, in fact, few people know him, but it is enough to say Mourinho or “il Mou”, the SPECIAL ONE, that already the bewilderment passes from the faces of most, relaxing in a smile for some, a grin for others.
Yes, because Mourinho is famous, almost infamous. A character of those who subjectively hate or love each other but who objectively make everyone agree. And in fact the numbers are objective, those of his successes. Of course, there was no shortage of failures either, which make as much noise as the missed goals are more important, perhaps by a hair’s breadth, but which in any case were within reach, or rather, goals. Mou began his activity as a football coach between Portugal and Spain, but it was with Porto that the victories, the important ones, began. In two and a half seasons he won 2 championships, several national and international cups including his first Champions League.
He moved to Chelsea in 2004 and until 2008 he won many titles with the Blues in England, but to return to lifting European cups you have to wait for our home-grown Nerazzurri with whom he won his second Champions League Cup. Years followed between Real Madrid and Chelsea again, winning various league titles and domestic cups with both. From 2016 to 2018 with Manchester Utd he returns to win in Europe, precisely the Europa League, in 2017. From 2021 he returns to Italy and sits on the Roma bench with which he wins the first edition of the Conference League in 2022.
It must be admitted that Special One is just right for him who really has a thrilling portfolio: 8 national championships, 8 national cups, 5 national super cups, 5 international competitions. Out of 151 Champions League matches, 80 victories, 36 draws, 35 defeats. In the Europa League instead 48 games played, 8 draws and 9 defeats.
Now, on the Roma bench, he is approaching the quarter-finals against the Dutch Feyenoord, the first of which will be played away on April 13, the return on April 20 at the Olimpico and we will all be ready with a notebook to go and change the data just reported, to celebrate this or other of the possible scommesse Europa League.