No Surprises: José Mourinho Has Always Been This Way

I watched the documentary about José Mourinho, available on a streaming platform (you can read the interview with the producer via the link below), and my main takeaway is that he has very little to say about himself.

I don't think I'm being overly simplistic by summarizing Mourinho's words as "I've won many titles," "I do everything to win," and various ways of blaming others, be they referees, journalists, players, club owners, or even Chelsea's former team doctor. His style is consistently the same: direct, self-assured, even arrogant. And the truth is, his entire career proves this approach worked, as evidenced not only by archival footage but also by the renowned athletes interviewed throughout the documentary, who lavish praise on how the Portuguese manager convinced them they would win, against all odds.

It's also a good opportunity to recall how this approach quickly yielded results at clubs that had so much to prove at a given moment, but then led to departures, sackings, and turmoil as time wore on and the strain became evident to everyone. Mourinho arrived, conquered, and then had to leave.

His roots, family, and off-field personality weren't extensively explored – and A BOLA's interview with the producer explains why: the coach didn't want to discuss them. There's also little mention of Tottenham, Roma, Fenerbahce, or Benfica, but we gain a better understanding of those choices (at a certain point, it becomes clear that Mourinho simply needed to be liked).

Now he's back at Real Madrid, and from the streaming screen to reality, we already see the Portuguese defending Vinícius Júnior. It might seem confusing when he says almost the opposite of what he stated while coaching Prestianni, but it's not surprising that he changes his tune as needed to defend his players. In recent days, he also advocated for Mbappé to win the Ballon d'Or, especially after the Frenchman scored a crucial hat-trick for the team (and for the coach). That's José Mourinho: he does everything to win. And indeed, he has won a great deal.

We'll see who the villain of his second stint in Madrid will be, as he no longer has Pep Guardiola or Casillas, and because, yes, there always has to be a villain in Mourinho's story. In fact, it's when discussing these villains that the Portuguese shows the most emotion throughout the documentary. He provokes, laughs, and shares a new detail or two. If Real's intention was to bring in a coach to take down Barcelona, then they've chosen the one who wants that very outcome the most.