Why Jose Mourinho is called The Special One | OneFootball

Jose Mourinho will unquestionably go down as one of the greatest managers in the history of football. His time at Porto, Chelsea, Inter Milan and Real Madrid were truly memorable as he established himself as a top tactician and always seemed to be a nuisance when clashing with opposing managers.

Mourinho became a well-known figure towards the back end of his days at Porto, especially for what he did during the club's Champions League clash with Manchester United in 2004. He had already irked Sir Alex Ferguson when the pair clashed over Roy Keane's red card in the first leg, but he announced himself to the world as his Porto side stunned the Red Devils on their way to winning the Champions League in 2004 - and the 61-year-old had an iconic celebration to match.

After the club's triumph in Europe, Mourinho joined Premier League side Chelsea in the summer of 2004. During his time in London with the Blues, and indeed since then, many called Mourinho "'The Special One" - but how did the nickname come about?

How the nickname came about

It's stuck since 2004

Many fans of a certain age may already know where his iconic nickname came from. Dating back to 2004, the Portuguese mastermind made the remark at his first press conference as Chelsea boss, telling reporters that he thought of himself as a ''special one''. It's fair to say that the nickname has stuck with him ever since.

Prior to joining the west London giants, Mourinho was not recognised as one of the biggest names in the game; however, his stock had risen after his successful spell with Porto. In the 2003/04 season, he guided the Portuguese underdogs to the Champions League final, defeating French side AS Monaco 3-0 in Germany.

During his spell in Portugal, Mourinho won two league titles as well as two domestic cups. However, his Champions League triumph in 2004 was the icing on the cake for him during his time at Porto. While many clubs were keen on his signature that summer, Chelsea successfully lured him to the Premier League.

His self-proclamation was laughed at by many and caused a real uproar within the UK media at the time. It was a bold statement considering it was his first season in the Premier League and he had to compete with the likes of Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger. However, his tag was quickly earned due to his brilliant man management and his tactical prowess.

He would go on to become the Blues' most trophy-laden manager, winning back-to-back league titles in his first two years at the club, truly living up to 'The Special One' nickname. His tactics brought a real breath of fresh air to the league and shaped England's top-flight division for the good.

Variations of the nickname

The iconic nickname stuck

Despite leaving Chelsea in 2007, Mourinho's nickname stuck and was still being mentioned by many in England while the Portuguese manager was plying his trade in Italy and then Spain with Inter Milan and Real Madrid, respectively.

After winning Serie A twice with Inter Milan, plus a Champions League, as well as one La Liga title with Real Madrid, Mourinho came back to England to manage Chelsea for a second time in 2013. Returning to the Premier League giants, Mourinho insisted he is no longer "a special one" but a humble one and vowed to introduce stability that has been lacking for both the Portuguese and the club since he first departed.

He arrived back at Stamford Bridge more mature, had more experience under his belt, and was hungry to succeed again given the circumstances of his departure during his first spell with the club. His first season back saw the Blues finish four points behind champions Manchester City and reach the semi-finals of the Champions League. The following year saw the London outfit win the Premier League and Carabao Cup. While it looked as if the side were going to push on, Mourinho was sacked in December 2015 after losing nine of the club's first 16 league managers that season.

While he arrived back at the club as the ''happy one,'' it's fair to say that he left as the ''disappointed one.'' Despite the nature of his departure, his iconic nickname still stuck among the media in England. The label was brought to attention again when Jurgen Klopp joined Liverpool as manager in 2015, with the German quizzed about if he would echo Mourinho's ''Special One'' moniker. Klopp commented:

Four years later, during his time with Tottenham, Mourinho was asked about the label and how it has stuck with him over the years. The Portuguese tactician revealed that he was annoyed with the fact that his coaching talent in English football had been questioned, telling reporters:

No longer the special one

Currently without a job after Roma axe

Mourinho's infamous description of himself back in 2004 no longer applies after he revealed in 2022 that it's an 'old story.' While the tag stuck and gained momentum over the years, the Portuguese manager was asked ahead of Roma's Europa Conference League final against Feyenoord if he could produce another special display, insisting that his nickname is history.

Despite playing down the nickname ahead of the crucial final, the Serie A side would go on to win the inaugural Conference League against the Dutch side. A first-half strike from Nicolo Zaniolo was enough to give Roma a historic win and yet another title for Mourinho.

Life in Rome started well for the 61-year-old following the success in Europe. He then followed that up by taking them to the Europa League final last term, where they lost to Sevilla on penalties.

Mourinho and AS Roma parted ways with immediate effect in January 2024. The Portuguese manager was in his third season with the Italian club and departed with the club ninth in the league and was eventually replaced by Daniele De Rossi.

In two seasons, Roma finished sixth in Serie A on both occasions. ​​​​​His departure came off the back of a 3-1 defeat to AC Milan – leaving them with just one win in their last six league games – and a defeat to rivals Lazio at the quarter-stage finals of the Coppa Italia. In an official statement shared by the club, owners Dan and Ryan Friedkin said: “We thank Jose on behalf of all of us at AS Roma for the passion and commitment he has shown since his arrival in the Giallorossi.

“We will always have great memories of his stewardship, but we believe that, in the best interests of the Club, immediate change is necessary. We wish José and his collaborators the best for the future.”

Ironically, Mourinho wasn't even present to oversee his final game in charge of the Giallorossi. Indeed, he was forced instead to watch on from the stands having been handed touchline suspension after he was sent off in the late stages of his team's draw against Atalanta earlier in January 2024.