So the headlines are everywhere today that Jose Mourinho turned down a coaching offer from perennial French champions Lyon. Pardon me while I yawn.
Bernard Lacombe, adviser to Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas, told France Football magazine that Lyon hit up Mourinho immediately after his ouster/departure at Chelsea. Mourinho said no thanks. We say, no kidding.
What's the news here? How many clubs approached Mourinho without grandstanding it the way Lyon is today? A dozen? Shame on any capable club that did not approach Mourinho.
It's still a safe bet that Mourinho is destined for Barcelona, with AC Milan sitting in the wings as a secondary contender. It's there where he'll close out his club career before taking over the Portuguese national team in time for the 2010 World Cup or 2012 Euro.
Can he win a Champions League at Barca before the World Cup? Right now, that's the big piece of silverware missing from his mantle and the sour taste in his mouth from his Chelsea days after getting bounced twice in the semifinals.
BTW, France Football intimates Mourinho already has his Barca deal, essentially done under the table.
In the meantime, Great Red North speculates that Mourinho could ultimately end up at Anfield.
Global Futbol goes one better, not only putting Mourinho at Barca, but moving Frank Rijkaard to Chelsea, replacing Avram Grant.
2 comments:
He'll do a great job at Barca once he's left to transfer in who he wishes. I watch with great interest!
i very much doubt he'll end up in England.. i think the Spanish La Liga is a much more attractive destination for Mourinho.. I think Italy might be a close second. But it's hard to say, Mourinho is at his best when the team he is coaching is not ridden with superstars. I think his downfall at Chelsea were the entrances of Sheva and Ballack. I think these 2 players disrupted the team chemistry, and while Ballack might have come to Chelsea with Mourinho's semi approval, Sheva did not. - I'd think either Sevilla, Valencia or even Athletic Madrid might be a better fit for Mourinho.
I think he is a master at the mental game when he is able to "mold" players to his way of thinking.. Look at the Barca squad, there's a lot of players who lack humility, not because of a character flaw they have, but because of the superstar status they have achieved. Players with that type status have tremendous pull and influence on a team, and that pull and influence can sometimes be disruptive to what Mourinho is ultimately trying to achieve, team chemistry.
Look at Chelsea before Mourinho came along, he had good players, but none of those players obtained superstar status until Mourinho started winning. Lampard, Terry, Drogba were all good players, but they stepped into another level after Mournho's first year.
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