Jose Mourinho: Big Mouth Strikes Again

Jose Mourinho’s mouth has been busy making enemies again. Expanding on his earlier claim that Serie A coaches (himself excluded of course) were “lacking professional dignity”, Mourinho got a bit more specific.

“I pick the team. A lot of other coaches don’t. They allow other people to suggest the line-up for them. If someone tried that with me, the next day my office would be empty and my bags packed.”

Clearly Mourinho didn’t go to Italy to make friends.

We can assume that by “other people” Mourinho means club owners, like Silvio Berlusconi at Milan.

The response from his fellow coaches has been pretty blunt. Renzo Ulivieri, the president of the Italian coaches’ association has called bullsh*t on Mourinho, using this excellent phrase: “He’s pissed outside the bowl this time. Ask Lippi, Spalletti, Capello or even Allegri if someone else picks their team.” Ulivieri has also demanded that The Special One make a Special apology. He won’t of course.

Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti took it personally, and struck back at Mourinho:

“I don’t know if he’s referring to me. You’d have to ask him,” Ancelotti said, before adding, sarcastically: “If I’m the subject, I can only say that, with Berlusconi as coach, I’ve won the Champions League twice as a player and twice as assistant coach.”

He also took a dig at Inter’s style under Mourinho.

“If Inter win the Scudetto then they will have deserved it. They know how to get the best out of their players and they are very strong physically.

“But I think that (Roberto) Mancini’s side was identical, only they tried to play the ball to feet. Now Inter are just very clinical.”

Is this just the usual Mourinho trick of keeping the focus on himself to keep it away from his players? There’s definitely some strategy to it, as is there is with everything Mourinho does. But I feel like – once again – The Special One has gone too far this time.

Insulting every coach in Serie A is only going to put Inter under more pressure. Because if I was a Serie A coach, I definitely know which team I’d want to beat right now.

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Category: Serie A