It has been referred to as a marriage, if so that is quite probably why the bride kept the audience waiting this afternoon.
With the Harris suite, at Stamford Bridge, full to the rafters with journalists and cameras, it was, as you`d expect, a confident looking Jose Mouirnho that eventually strode in.
Standing up he allowed the multitude of cameras to flash away before taking a seat to face a plethora of questions, all of which he answered in impeccable fashion but maintaining the attention of those in attendance.
To get the ball rolling, Jose appeared to ditch the Special One tag in favour of something perhaps befitting his stature as a 50 year-old person who now knows the managerial ropes inside and out. Now referring to himself as the Happy One, prompting me to start humming the old Siouxsie and the Banshees song – Happy House, Jose explained his new tag,
“I am the happy one. Time flies, it looks like it was a couple of days ago but it was nine years ago when I first became manager and since then a lot of things happened in my professional life.”
“I have the same nature, I am the same person, I have the same heart and the same kind of emotions related to my passion for football and my job, but of course I am a different person.”
“If I have to describe myself I would describe myself as a very happy person. It is the first time I arrive in a club where I already love the club, before I had to build an emotional relationship and I only came to love the club a little later.”
But, as you`d expect, the question on the lips of everybody related to replicating the success he enjoyed during his first tenure, to which he retorted.
“I want to believe it is possible – I always trust my work.”
“In this case I know many people who belong to the club and I know the type of mentality and ambition people have.”
“My career has been built and raised on success. In every club I was able to achieve success and win trophies and leave different types of legacy. I have to believe in that.”
“The club is more important than ourselves. If we work well – normally success arrives.”
But would his second tenure be spoilt by the first parting of the ways with Roman Abramovich or did the relationship really ever disintegrate? Jose takes up the story,
“That is not true.”
“I read that I was fired and we had a complete breakdown in relationship that was not true. At the time we thought it was the best for both of us.”
“It was a decision that was difficult for both of us but a decision made by mutual agreement. There was never a break of the relationship and that is why it was possible for me to be here today.”
“I am back because we feel we are in a moment of my professional life and in the case of the owner, also a moment in his career as owner, where I think we are in the best moments of our careers and ready to work together again and in much better conditions this time and to succeed in what this club wants, which is stability.”
“One of points for me is my relationship with the owner has to be private. What is discussed has to be private. That privacy is crucial.”
“The point is we all want the same. We are all in the same direction. It’s a moment where I think we have maturity, a very good feeling, same perspective for the future of the club.”
“My area is football but more and more in football have to be deeply connected with all areas of the club. We have same vision and I’m more than happy to follow this philosophy. I am more than happy to be back.”
“I didn’t choose a comfortable position because I’m returning to a house where I was happy and successful and where fans loved me. I’m coming from the opposite way. The expectations are higher because people know what I can deliver.”
“I want to be respected for achievements in the past but I want to respected for what I achieve now.”
With the audience lapping up every word and with journalists scribbling away and with their recording equipment recording every syllable, Jose moved on to further explain his new tag – the Happy One, further commenting,
“If I have to choose a nickname for this period. I would choose the happy one. I am very happy. I was two years at Inter and three at Madrid, five years in a managerial career is a long time. Football is an industry where you learn a lot of yourself and learn a lot every day.”
“My beginning in 2000, when I was managing for the first time I thought I knew everything but after 13 years you realise you know nothing and have to learn every day.”
“My adventures around Europe were fantastic for me, different countries, different cultures, different media. It was fantastic.”
“At 50 I think I am still very young as a manager and I think it was like the beginning of a new period. Do I have a different personality? No, but for sure I have a different approach and perspective.”
But is it the same old, fiery Jose or has being a half-centurion doused some of that fire, a question Jose responded to in the following way,
“Calmer? I believe so.”
“You have to learn with experiences. Sometimes people speak about people in negative way. I haven’t arrived there yet but experience is vital if you use it well.”
“I analyse myself every day as manager, leader and member of a club and I try to improve.”
“Nine years is a big difference and you pushed me a lot in that first press conference for a strong approach – now you know me after my success.”
“I’m in the best moment of my career in terms of knowledge. I’m sorry the pre-season doesn’t start tomorrow.”
But, and this bit surprised me, Jose isn`t a fan of press conferences, explaining,
“Let’s do this fast and let me go.”
“I don’t love it, but it is part of my job. I try to do the best I can, give you what you want but I didn’t come here to give a big headline. I just try to be honest, open and give what you expect from me at this moment.”
However, could his flitting around Europe, every two or three years, now be curtailed in exchange for longevity? Jose retorted,
“Yes, now I’m prepared for that. Before I wasn’t.”
“I had this kind of mentality. Today is 10 June – the day of Portugal. I’m Portuguese and I love adventure like the Portuguese ones in the past – a bit of a navigator. But I’ve done what I wanted to do. I needed a special family – which I have – and they allowed me to move around Europe.”
“I wanted to do it and wanted to win the three most important leagues and cups. More than that I wanted the experience.”
“The coaching in football is something important for a manager. I wanted to go where I really like it very much.”
“It’s up to me to prove to the club that I can be here for four years. I hope to go to last day of this contract. If the club wants me to stay, I’m more than happy.”
Something we`d appreciate as it`d mean a continued period of success.
Continuing, Jose then moved on to answer questions about why and when he decided A Stamford Bridge return would be something to consider,
“Not a long time ago. I decided first of all that I was going to leave my previous club, that was the trigger.”
“I needed to make that decision and I did and after that it was a question for analysing the situation and possibilities and make the best decision for my happiness. When the Chelsea situation appears, it was decision made.”
And as for the squad he inherits,
“There are still a few boys from my previous time here, which is always good to go back and see these people who gave me absolutely everything.”
“It is important for me to tell you that there is no privilege for them. They know that already as they know my nature as a manger. They don’t have an advantage in relation to the other people.”
“There is a group of boys that Chelsea did very well to get in these past years and I will be more than happy to work with them and improve them.”
“We always have ambition to add a couple of new players, to give different qualities and increase the competitiveness. The most important part of my job at the moment is the improvement of the youth here. They have big potential and I think I have the conditions to help improve them.”
But with trophies to be won, Jose had a few words about his rivals in the Premier League, remarking,
“I’m still a bit disappointed that I’m back and I’ll go to Old Trafford and Sir Alex [Ferguson] is not there.”
“But David Moyes has conditions and experiences and protection from the club to do his job and do well.”
“Wenger is there and I’m happy he is.”
“And the three boys – when I say boys I say it with the right feeling – Brendan [Rodgers], Steve [Clarke] and Andre [Villas-Boas]. I’m more than happy to be in same league and wish them all the best.”
“[Manuel] Pellegrini is a man with a lot of experience first time he moves here but maturity and quality to do a good job.”
“I look forward to what the Premier League is. In the last three years I’ve played in a league which is a two-horse race and now I move to a league where you lose more times but the competition is open to more than two.”
And with time now becoming of the essence, with Mourinho looking to wrap matters up, he spoke about the clubs objectives for next season, commenting,
“Everybody will try to finish top four, and after that top three. After that, trying to win it. Of course the first objective is top four.”
And for his thoughts on not being offered a job in Manchester with City or United,
“I am where I want to be. I wouldn’t change it for anything.”
But what about the carnage he left behind in Spain and the damage he`d all but sunk the Armada, Jose had this to say,
“I damaged Spanish football by being the manager who broke Barcelona dominance.”
“It looked like a dominance without an end but Real Madrid won the cup final against Barcelona, won the Super Cup against Barcelona, won in Barcelona and won the championship, and that is the historic championship – which is 100 points and 101 goals. I hurt it.”
Finally, what about the young player`s who have been out on loan, his thoughts being,
“I want to meet them. I think it fair that the players the first one to know about the future and that future.”
“Chelsea invested a lot in the players – it’s my job to extract the best out of that investment. Both players are ready to come and be a part of our squad.”
And with that last comment, some 50 minutes after starting his first press conference of his second era, Jose was gone. But what wonderful times we have ahead of us.
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