The latest episode of the SoccerBible Podcast sees one of the most recognisable faces in football joining us for an informal chat. Yes, The Special One, the one and only Jose Mourinho holds nothing back for an unfiltered chat with us.
Few people have had as big an impact on modern day football as Jose Mourinho. Love him or hate him he is one of the biggest characters in the game, boasting a level of success that few others in the world can even come close to, let alone match. But for most of us he remains almost a character of sorts, where we only get to see mere glimpses, usually in front of the media. Now though we got the chance to speak with the Roma manager ahead of what is a huge European final for the club, and we took the opportunity to find out more about the Mourinho you don’t usually see or hear from.
There’s a level of self awareness with Mourinho – you only have to refer back to the Paddy Power ads to see that he knows what the public’s perception of him is. He’s an incredibly intelligent man, and there’s so much more to him than what we see in a pre or post match interview. From his time with Bobby Robson to his relationship with Maradona, and right up to how he deals with fame, nothing is off the table as Mourinho gives a rare glimpse at the man behind the manager.
Listen to the full episode now on Spotify.
People don’t know the majority of the time…what people know is the coach or the player, but they really don’t know the person."
I have a sarcastic side, and when you are not happy but you cannot be – or politically you should not be – very straightforward and you cannot just be black or white, then sarcasm is a good way to bring a funny way to serious stuff."
It probably doesn’t look it, but I’m a little bit shy. My social life is a reflection of the way I am because I just like to be what I feel I am: I’m a normal person. I like my impossible freedom, but I have to respect the feelings [of fans]; I have to try to answer the people’s enthusiasm."
One day we lost a match and I was not happy at all, and [Robson] said to me ‘if you think of the happiness in the opposite dressing room, you are not so sad.’ This was him. When you spend every day with him for six years you get a lot from that gentleman."
