Five reasons that make Jose Mourinho the ‘Special One’

Indian Super League Prediction

March 14 2026, 05:00 PM

SC East Bengal

Kerala Blasters

Bengaluru, August 29: Known for his strategic expertise, what makes Tottenham Hotspur manager Jose Mourinho one of the best in the business is his innate ability to extract the best performance from the players by making them believe they are world beaters.

Though there have been times when his unflinching confidence is misunderstood by conceit and his heart-on-the-sleeve demeanor interpreted as egotism, no one can ever deny his contribution to the success of the clubs that he has worked for.

With football fans getting a sneak peek into his managerial style on Monday (August 31) as Amazon Prime Video releases the highly-awaited All or Nothing: Tottenham Hotspur, it is time for a managerial masterclass by one of the world's best football managers.

"Please, don't call me arrogant. Because what I'm saying is true, I'm European champion so I'm not one of the bottle. I think I'm a special one.

Mourinho knew exactly what the media was looking for as with these quotes, the fiery tactician announced his arrival in English football in his very first press conference as Chelsea manager in 2004. A man who served box office content at its best for the media has since then gone on to become a man synonymous with winning in European Football.

Leading clubs like Porto, Chelsea, Inter Milan, Real Madrid, Manchester United to glory, this wily old fox is now looking to replicate his midas touch with London side Tottenham Hotspur.

Here, we look at five reasons that makes Mourinho The Special One.

Entertainer

Having coined the term, 'parking the bus' meaning having 10 men to defend, do not expect any free-flowing football on the pitch from Mourinho. Off the pitch, the man is a complete trendsetter. He is the one to bring all the style and swagger to how managers presented themselves.

Be it his Hublot King watch or his Armani suits on the touchline be the talk amongst footballing circles, the man knew how to deflect the attention from his team. In fact, many times, his press conference quotes before or after a game gave fans much more entertainment than the 90 minutes of football.

Serial winner

Eight league titles won across Portugal, England, Italy and Spain along with two Champions League titles followed by a whole lot of cup wins. Success follows wherever the man goes.

Having led teams with a shoestring budget like Porto and Inter Milan to the pinnacle of success, or managing huge egos at Chelsea, Real Madrid and Manchester United, silverware has always been a part of Mourinho's life.

Man management skills

With footballers of various diversities plying their trade at Europe's top clubs, what has kept Mourinho ahead of other managers is him being extremely multi-lingual.

By speaking to the player in either Portuguese, English, Italian, Spanish, Catalan or French, there is no wonder why footballers take absolutely no time in warming up to the man and his philosophy

Underdogs tag

No one would have expected a team in Portugal claiming Europe's biggest prize back in 2004. Or an English club named Chelsea that shook the very supremacy that Arsenal and Manchester United had for years.

Mourinho loves being the David amongst the Goliaths and having his back to the wall. He starts out with a club that could be associated with a small pony taking them all the way to win the Grand Derby in the future.

An enigma

One definitely needs to talk about the enigma that is Mourinho. When he walks into the dressing rooms, players with the biggest of egos and salaries shut up. A true boss man, Mourinho has built a personality of being the team's biggest player, their 12th man if one could perfectly describe him.

Having been a winner all his life, he has made players yet to taste success realise that they have not won anything yet. He will be there right by their side; pushing them all the way till the moment they step on the podium to raise that trophy.