Quirky Portuguese and the grand old Scotsman

God sure listens to Jose Mourinho. Before the Friday’s Champions League draw in Nyon, the Portuguese was praying for a reunion with old friend Sir Alex Ferguson. His wish was granted. Inter Milan are drawn to play Manchester United in the last sixteen. I can’t wait.

Those two, Alex and Jose, they remind me of bickering ex-lovers. The lover you can’t forget, the lover you want to settle old scores with, the lover you secretly love and hate.

Their association goes back to 2004, when Jose was managing FC Porto. Porto had drawn Manchester United in the round of sixteen of the Champions League. The Portuguese won the home leg 2-1. In the return leg at Old Trafford, Costinha scored an injury-time equaliser (1-1), sealing Porto’s place in the quarterfinals. Mourinho ran down the Old Trafford pitch, celebrating that goal. Not many in the stadium that night would have forgotten that run, not in the least Sir Alex. The Scot, in his more than two-decade long career with Manchester, has seen many wins, some losses and a lot of pesky characters come and go. But little did he know the Portuguese would give him many more sleepless nights.

Jose came to the Premier League the same year as manager of newly AbramoRich Chelsea. He challenged Sir Alex’s reign immediately and announced himself as the ‘Special One’.

Now, when you are the grand old daddy of English football, a young Turk, out of nowhere with his chest puffed and head bloated after a Champions League win, bemuses for a while. But when he lays his claim on your territory, the eyebrow gets raised and frowns settle on the forehead. Ferguson, though, admired the Portuguese’s pluck, seeing a little bit of himself in Jose.

The admiration was mutual, Jose acknowledging that Ferguson was the only manager in England, who was suitable to be compared to him. United boss was then the only manager in England, like Mourinho, to have won the Champions League (1999).

Ferguson was ready for the challenge, both on and off the field. Was this man to be the rightful heir? The big boss?

Chelsea rode high on the Mourinho wave and won back to back Premier League titles. In between, relationships soured. Mourinho was becoming the darling of English press, charming all with his delightful wit. Sir Alex was seeing his thunder stolen. But the real crack appeared when Mourinho said this after their Carling Cup semifinal in 2005, “In the second half, it was whistle and whistle, fault and fault, cheat and cheat. The referee controlled the game in one way during the first half but in the second they had dozens of free-kicks. I know the referee did not walk to the dressing rooms alone at half-time.”
Chelsea went on to win the final against Liverpool.

But for Sir Alex, the prodigal had crossed the line and love was lost. The following two seasons, the two bickered, accused, fussed and sulked. Then, Mourinho left in 2007.

And there was a void. Sir Alex felt it. Jose had made EPL more interesting. He was arrogant, haughty but also the only manager in the world to fling away his winners’ medal. A quirky Portuguese and an old-fashioned Scotsman — a perfect match, I think.