With his track record of success – and a love of publicity and Armani suits – he seemed tailor made for the biggest job in British football.
Jose Mourinho had, after all, even called himself The Special One long before being appointed the Manchester United manager.
But the Portuguese manager’s love affair with English football appeared over yesterday after he was unceremoniously sacked by the Old Trafford club. All that remained was his trademark smile – perhaps because he is in line for a payout of about £15million.
Jose Mourinho signed on as Manchester United manager in July 2016 at Old Trafford
Mourinho, pictured here after being sacked yesterday, was earning £12-million a year as Manchester United manager
Mourinho, who earned £12million a year, lived in the Riverside Suite at the five-star Lowry Hotel for his 895 days in Manchester at a cost of about £537,000, or £600 a night.
The hotel is popular choice for visiting pop stars including Rita Ora, Robbie Williams and Justin Bieber.
During his ill-fated spell in the city, Mourinho’s wife Matilde, daughter Matilde and son Jose Mario Jr chose to remain in their rented London townhouse in Belgravia, where a maid and a security guard look after them. The 55-year-old manager may now return to his home in the Portuguese city of Setubal amid widespread speculation that he will not coach a British club again.
Mourinho was summoned to a crisis meeting at Manchester United’s training ground at 9am yesterday when executive vice chairman Ed Woodward gave him his marching orders.
He emerged three hours later, having shaven, and checked out of his luxurious hotel before heading to London.
The move saw United’s share price on the New York Stock Exchange soar by about 5 per cent in the first two hours of trading, adding $150million (about £119million) to the club’s overall value.
The manager appeared relaxed and even lowered the window of his Jaguar F-PACE to shake hands with one of the regular Manchester paparazzi and said: ‘Thanks guys, good luck.’ Asked how he was holding up, Mourinho replied: ‘OK, my friend,’ as he posed for photographs.
The decision to sack him was made on Monday evening after he had presided over the club’s worst start to a season for 28 years. The club issued a terse statement in which it said Mourinho ‘has left the club with immediate effect’.
It thanked him for his work at Manchester United and wished him success in the future – but offered him no praise for his successes, albeit modest. By the time of his departure most of the players had already turned on him.
The players reacted to a recent poll showing that 90 per cent of them wanted the manager to leave by asking each other: ‘Who are the 10 per cent that want him to stay?’
During his turbulent two-and-a-half years at the club, Mourinho brought in 11 players at a combined cost of around £400million.
Among those was Frenchman Paul Pogba who was bought for £89million in August 2016, then a world record fee for a footballer. At the time Mourinho admitted that the deal was further proof football had gone ‘crazy’.
Their relationship turned sour within months and yesterday Pogba, 25, appeared to mock Mourinho’s downfall on his Instagram account.
It is a spectacular fall from grace for one of the most mercurial, and controversial, managers in the modern game.
He became widely known as The Special One when he arrived in the UK in June 2004 after Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich signed him to manage Chelsea for three years. During his first press conference, Mourinho said: ‘Please don’t call me arrogant, but I’m European champion and I think I’m a special one.’
He brought swagger and style to the world of football management by wearing a tailored suit and Armani overcoat on the touchline. Previously, managers had tended to wear either knackered tracksuits or shapeless overcoats.
Mourinho also brought success and trophies to the clubs he managed. Controversy was never far away, however.
As he neared the end of his second spell at Chelsea, team doctor Eva Carneiro claimed Mourinho shouted the Portuguese phrase ‘filha da puta’, which means ‘daughter of a whore’, as she ran on to the pitch against his wishes to treat an injured player.
Dr Carneiro, who claimed constructive dismissal against Chelsea, also reached a discrimination settlement against Mourinho. It was an expensive defeat for the club – she rejected £1.2million to settle.
Months later he left Chelsea by ‘mutual consent’ and United gambled that he might bring long-term success and stability back to England’s most successful club. It was a gamble that spectacularly backfired – at a very heavy cost.