Egomaniac Mourinho will need to maintain respect for new suitors Real

It is often a footballing commandment of the highest order and the thesis “no one is bigger than the club” is somewhat of a ritual.


Jose Mourinho (above) looking typically stylish as he feeds quotes to the army of journalists.

But to the surprise of the Santiago Bernabeu press conference on May 31st this hallmark was greeted with respect and honour, by the ingenious and self proclaimed arrogance of new Real Madrid Coach Jose Mourinho as he sat picture perfect addressing the world’s media ahead of arguably his greatest managerial challenge to date. The tone of Mourinho’s utterances in the media spotlight spoke elegantly about the importance of the history of his new club, its exclusive mannerisms and the need for the typically mad Madrid circus, to not focus on him: "I look at what's best for the team. The identity of a club, no matter what, is not going to change" he said. This promise rejecting the personal pride Mourinho typically has taken above all else before (notably his players) underlines the test of his mental attribution facing him as he prepares to pick his wits against the occasional insanity of Real President Florentino Perez and the ever so hard to please Los Blancos faithful.

The impresario Portuguese character is a man whom on the back of his past credentials deserves a plethora of respect. His work taking an unfancied, ordinary and rather starless Porto to Europe’s richest honour (the 2004 Champions League), followed by a success laden spell at Chelsea where he had to juggle Roman Ambramovich’s ambition in turn with an endless multimillion pound chequebook to break English football’s traditional monopoly, identify a distinctive management mind ticking an abundance of crucial attributes. Italian giants Inter Milan, Mourinho’s next port of call expressed the then San Siro Coaches organizational and man management prowess to stifle even the normally unassailable attacking forays of Barcelona on route to winning the Champions League at the Bernabeu last season, the ground just a few weeks later that would welcome him yet again.

A decade for Real Madrid, which started off with two Champions League triumphs in 2000 and 2002 respectively, has since faltered into a congregation of chaotic confusion. The fallen era of the original and well documented ‘Galacticos’, added to with the woes of the ever revolving Coach exit door begs the question of where exactly does Mourinho start on re-building one of Europe’s great clubs? One of the former Barcelona Assistant Coach’s enviable talents is his ability to connect with his players, thus increasing their desires to work with him, and not against. The reputable skills of an international class Madrid squad incumbently makes for pleasant reading on paper, but Mourinho’s quest to turn the mentality of a highly assembled group of players into one whereby they are a collective force could yet prove to be difficult. For example, the mercurial talents of Mourinho’s Portuguese compatriot Cristiano Ronaldo will need diffusing. Although, a wholesale hit last term, Ronaldo may take a little persuading to have to slot into a rigid organizational structure (usually a feature of Mourinho’s teams) hence limiting his flamboyancy on the front foot.

If anyone can bide his time in search of a winning formula, it is Mourinho. The shackles seem to be off as far as Real Madrid’s Director’s inputs go on the dawn of another new project, and so it seems a little bit of patience has been required from the hierarchy reigning above. Patience has always however and probably will still be a forlorn activity among White’s supporters. Los Blancos’s new Coach is aware of the symbolic stature of Real Madrid, a hallmark he seemed to always reiterate in his maiden Madrid media gathering, but a quick fix of footballing artistry should not be expected from the offing. With the prominent powers that be, in bitter rivals Barcelona overturning footballing myths into submission at present, Mourinho needs time to develop a team with an ethos of winning. The latter, a word poignant in the so called ‘Special One’s’ vocabulary fuels his desires and if he can strike the right chords with Madrid’s players and home contingent quickly, the rapport generated could see Real Madrid return to where they want to be: in Champions League finals once more. In a throwback, to Los Blancos’s imperious European supremacy in the 1950’s, the legendary figures of personalities such as Alfredo de Stefano indefinitely create pressure and cannot be escaped from, but the key to Mourinho’s armoury will be stamping his authority on the team, whilst nurturing the players along to work effectively together.


Alfredo de Stefano, arguably Real Madrid's finest player of all time struck up Los Blancos's fascination with the European Cup following the clubs dominating spell in the 1950's.

Jose Mourinho is a born winner. Real Madrid, his next vested interest is a club where winning is the central ingredient to its make-up. This coming campaign could be one of the most defining ever in Los Blancos’s 108 year history and just maybe, if Mourinho is given time to pursue the dream and everyone is with him, the Santiago Bernabeu can look forward to a cluster of titles decorating its trophy cabinets in years to come.

There’s just one key component to this Madrid mission statesment. Can the cultured Mourinho keep his confident ambiance under wraps and his relationship with the Bernabeu Presidential suite admirable as whether he likes it or not, his search for further greatness is hindered by Los Blancos’s history and the old proverb Mourinho was so willing to adhere to in his Bernabeu baptism “no one is bigger than the club” inevitably rings true.

Iniesta Waves His Magic Wand In Effortless Footballing Artistry

Artistry at its finest. Mesmeric, deft defining touch, combined with a fatal killer instinct to seize the moment are all superlatives chronically associated with the name Andres Iniesta.

His native Spain, its make-up consisting overtly of his Barcelona team mates have propelled footballing immortality into a new life form. Iniesta, and his partner in crime Xavi Hernandez do not just bring their playing cards to the table, but their incessant cognitive brain power, reminiscent of an ‘Einstein’ on a football pitch.

The petite number six’s late, late show finally drove a powerful dagger into the hearts of the Dutch, a team willing to use sheer brute force and untainted aggression to break a footballing legacy. Luckily, their efforts fell on deaf ears, as Spain reigned supreme.


Iniesta (above) writes his name into Spanish folklore.

It is hard not to want to praise Espana and its total football realm. With a player like Iniesta, the football oaths have shined on his patch, and rightly so. Maybe, it was destiny he would drill home the winning goal, but just sacred reward for a player who has redefined the modern technique and skill needed in a modern day footballer.

Faultless, humble, ingenious and modest depict Iniesta’s personal pedigree apart. I for one, say let it rain a Spanish footballing dynasty for as long genius touches effortlessly the history of the greatest sporting spectacle on earth.

The People Of Both Nations Await A Legacy To Be Written

The World’s perennial underachievers and total football nearly men tonight have the chance to inscribe their seeds of commitment into the oath of footballing folklore.

Twenty five games unbeaten and memoirs of final outings in 1974 and 78 will count for nothing as the Netherlands look to shed criticism from past Dutch greats as ‘Oranje’s’ quest for modern day perfection is close to boiling point thanks largely to the tactical nous of Van Marwijk’s workmanlike, but effective outfit.

Spain, on the other hand, still gleaming from 2008 European Championship glory have failed to reach the heavy heights expected, but they still find themselves moments away from rewriting Spanish history books. Maybe, the seamless engineered passing, technical wizardry and a Barcelona over balanced squad have meant Espana have not had to play at their sublime best.

Soccer City, a place where dreams have been conquered in this World Cup’s colourful African spectacle adhere us to the more natural side of the ‘Beautiful game’ which could be said has lost transition in recent years. South Africa, a country reunited through the valiant and extraordinary Nelson Mandela, is a place where peoples pride of nationalism has allowed them to show-off a country entrenched in fascinating culture.


Nelson Mandela, a man breathing inspiration.

One touch, memorising and flamboyant, Vicente Del Bosque’s side look on paper the team to win the World Cup virginity of both sides in their first ever clash of worthwhile note. Wesley Sneijder, the Dutch’s modern day Cruyff can expect the weight of history planted upon his shoulders as the Netherland’s remain desperate to turn the screw on the statistical books and finally put to bed the agony of previous World Cup Finals defeat.


Johan Cruyff, the Dutch's legendary hitherto the mainstay in Oranje folklore.

None needn’t be shy, but notoriously nervous as two sets of eleven players have the World at their feet in Johannesburg. With the high and mighty watching on, the battleground of footballing beauty is open to viewing once again tonight. The temple of both nations awaits a legacy to be written.