Over the last week Jose Mourinho has come out with some very strong statements about his desire to return to England. Clearly, Jose Mourinho has come tired with life at the Bernabeu, knowing full well that Real Madrid will be playing second fiddle to Barcelona for many years to come. Barcelona and Pep Guardiola have shown Mourinho that he isn’t quite as special as he may think and it is clear he is looking to jump ship at the earliest opportunity.
Real Madrid are not in a poor position. They have moved into the quarter finals of the Champions League, they are in the Copa Del Rey final and only lie five points behind Barcelona in the race for the La Liga title. For many coaches this would represent good progress and of course the season is not over. So why does Jose Mourinho insist on telling us that he wants to move back to England and that he was first choice for the England job? Is it a come and get me plea to Manchester City or Manchester United? Perhaps, but I think this is happening because deep down he knows the truth of his situation: Jose Mourinho can’t beat Barcelona.
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The 5-0 drubbing in the first Classico was a real lesson for Jose Mourinho and his Real Madrid team. Fortunately, since that game they have got better, have worked harder and have no doubt come together as a team – something that isn’t synonymous with Real Madrid sides. After that game, Mourinho blamed his players and took no responsibility for the poor judgement in his team selection that night. It was very un-Mourinho like but that night he learnt who was the greater side, and who was a greater manager. Since that drubbing, Mourinho has been looking for an exit strategy.
His managerial career thus far has been exceptional. His home record is nothing short of unbelievable and his winning titles in both England and Italy is something that has to be applauded. But I would question whether Mourinho faced much of a challenge at Chelsea. It was a club with an endless supply of wealth – certainly more than it’s rivals and a club that already had a back-bone of exceptional players. The same was true at Inter – he was expected to win the league, he was given huge resources and after the Italian football scandal, Inter Milan were too strong – something that Mourinho was well aware of.
This challenge looks like it could be one hurdle too far for Jose Mourinho. He has the worlds most expensive player in Cristiano Ronaldo, a talented midfield and the best goalkeeper in the world but it’s still Barcelona that grab the headlines. Even with all the talent on their books and all the investment poured into the club, Real Madrid do not have the class of Barcelona. If Mourinho is given an exit strategy this summer expect him to take it.
Read more of Tom’s articles at This Is Futbol
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