Mourinho: A Man of Mystery

Barcelona 1-1 Real Madrid (3-1 Agg.)

A year ago to the week, Jose Mourinho glided across the Nou Camp turf in the aftermath of progressing to the Champions League final. His suit jacket floated in the Catalan breeze behind him as he vigorously jabbed his index finger towards a small section of Milanese fanatics housed in one of the stadium’s many tiers.

Mourinho’s Inter Milan consequently defeated Bayern Munich 2-0 in the final at the Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid to record his second European conquest.

How times change.

Firstly, the Portuguese maestro moved to Real Madrid and joined his countryman Cristiano Ronaldo in the Spanish capital. However, they are both entirely different characters, as was epitomised by this Champions League semi-final tie.

Ronaldo’s outburst in the wake of a first leg 2-0 defeat courtesy of his personal rival – and perhaps nemesis – Lionel Messi, was one of many that emanated from Mourinho’s isolated camp. It was however, the most hard-hitting, and possibly, most accurate.

The £80 Million forward expressed a desire to play football, while arguably casting enviable glances towards Messi’s illustrious team-mates that have helped supply him throughout his record breaking 52 goals in 52 games season.

If Real’s number seven is a maker of ‘beautiful football’ then maybe Mourinho could be perceived as the opposite – a breaker.

Never could this have seemed possible at a club where ‘Galactico’s’ once roamed. Zidane, Figo et al would surely perish the thought of negative tactics deployed by the self proclaimed Special One.

To tonight, and on such a critical evening for Mourinho, there was certainly to be no repeat of last year’s antics as he wasn’t even in the vicinity of the stadium. Serving a UEFA touchline ban for comments made to, or about, Barcelona with varying degrees of severity, Real Madrid were head (coach) less.

Thankfully there was a scarcity regarding the theatrics seen six days ago in this season’s fourth episode of El Classico. The ‘game of shame’ was all but forgotten in a frantic, yet entertaining meeting.

The tempo of the match was more akin to that seen on video games as Iniesta and Messi for the hosts, and Marcelo and Diarra for the visitors, made countless passes, dribbles, runs and tackles respectively.

The crafty Barca team moulded by Pep Guardiola never looked in any danger and the complexion of the tie only briefly altered when Pedro scored to increase the advantage, before parity and the initial equation were restored thanks to Marcelo’s tap in.

The Champions League will be seen as Barcelona’s to lose, as will the La Liga title.

Unfortunately for Mourinho, he may have to embrace rap singer Jay-Z’s words found in the song Empire State of Mind as an adage to his spell at Madrid:

“If I can make it here, I can make it anywhere...”

Not this year, Jose. No way.

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