On Thursday, English Premier League champions Chelsea sacked outspoken genius José Mourinho as their manager after a tumultuous start to the season. His dismissal underlined the cruel nature of modern football management — even a title cannot guarantee job security. But much of Mourinho’s downfall this season has been self-scripted. The first real hint of discomfort in the dressing room was when Mourinho picked a bizarre fight with the club’s physio, Eva Carneiro, one of the most popular figures among players, on the opening weekend of the season in August. Since then, the players have looked disgruntled, losing nine of 16 EPL games so far. But instead of shielding his players, the Portuguese manager castigated them.
Mourinho is regarded as this generation’s first celebrity superstar manager. In dressing rooms brimming with the egos of superstars paid millions per match, he never missed a chance to cast himself as the smartest man around, at times battling ego with ego. A winning team can brim with the sort of bluster and bravado that Mourinho personified, but a lacklustre unit could scarcely afford an ill-tempered manager leading them onto the pitch and mocking their insecurities.
That style may have won him titles aplenty, but it has also been the reason for another unceremonious exit.
Mourinho’s way is in stark contrast to his biggest nemesis, Pep Guardiola, who ushered in a new era of football at Barcelona and challenged Mourinho’s dominance without really going to town about it. In cricketing parlance, if Mourinho is a Greg Chappell, Guardiola is Gary Kirsten, one who prefers being in the background and going about his job silently. As such, the “Special One” will be remembered more for what he said than his players’ style — something the dignified Guardiola nurtured. It’ll be a surprise if this episode mellows Mourinho. But it’s a road he might be tempted to take if the self-proclaimed Special One doesn’t want to be rechristened by fans as the “Sulking One”.
Source: New feed
