The self-anointed Special One, Jose Mourinho, is leaving Real Madrid at the end of the season, the club has confirmed.
But how successful has he been in his three years in charge at the Bernabeu?
Realmadridnews.com takes a look back at his season-by-season highs – and lows.
2010-2011
Mourinho arrived in a blaze of glory in the summer of 2010 having won the Champions League with Inter Milan – the second European Cup of his managerial career – along with the Scudetto and the Italian Cup.
Hopes were high among Los Blancos fans that the team would knock Barcelona off their perch as Spain’s top club, and the signing of German international Mezut Ozil showed Mourinho’s intent to continue Madrid’s love of free flowing and attacking football.
It all started so well, with Madrid remaining unbeaten in the first 19 games of Mourinho’s reign. But that came to a shuddering halt in November 2010 when Los Blancos lost 5-0 at the Camp Nou in his first El Clasico encounter. The humiliation, the heaviest defeat for Mourinho in his career, showed just how much work needed to be done at the Bernabeu to catch up with el Blaugrana.
Madrid exacted some revenge at the end of the campaign when they beat Barcelona 1-0 in the Copa del Rey final, thanks to a stunning Ronaldo header. It was Mourinho’s first piece of silverware in the Spanish capital, and Madrid’s first Copa success in 18 years.
Controversy is never far from the Portuguese though, and he was handed a touchline ban for seemingly telling Xabi Alonso and Sergio Ramos to get booked in a Champions League match to avoid a suspension later on in the tournament.
He was also given a further five-match ban touchline ban after he suggested UEFA gave preferential treatment to Barcelona following Madrid’s elimination by the Catalan giants in an ill-tempered Champions League semi-final.
2011-2012
Mourinho secured the La Liga title for Real Madrid in record-breaking fashion, with Los Blancos gaining 100 points, scoring 121 goals and ending with a positive goal difference of 89.
The supporters were delighted to end Barcelona’s three-year reign as champions.
But there was disappointment in the cup competitions, with Barcelona defeating Los Blancos in the quarter-final of the Copa del Rey, and the club suffering a painful defeat on penalties to Bayern Munich in the semi-final of the Champions League again.
The manager was given another two-match touchline ban, this time for appearing to poke Barcelona’s then assistant manager Tito Vilanova in the eye after Madrid’s loss in the Spanish Supercopa at the start of the campaign.
2012-2013
Madrid started the season well enough, securing the Spanish Supercopa on away goals following an aggregate 4-4 score with Barcelona.
Unfortunately for Mourinho and Madrid, that was as good as it got in the manager’s last season in charge, as it all unraveled very quickly.
Damaging defeats and draws in La Liga early on saw Mourinho chuck in the towel, leaving Barcelona to run away with the title.
He put all his focus on winning the coveted Champions League, with the club in search of La Decima. Madrid eased into the semi-final again where they faced Borussia Dortmund. Hopes of making the Wembley final were shattered in the first leg, with Los Blancos suffering a 4-1 defeat. They restored some pride in the return leg at the Bernabeu, winning 2-0, but the damage had been done in Germany.
The final nail in the coffin came last Friday when Real lost to bitter rivals Atletico de Madrid in the Copa del Rey final on home turf. It was the first time in 14 years that Madrid had lost to their city rivals, and to make matters worse for Mourinho, he was sent off in the 76th minute for telling the referee to go and celebrate with Atletico fans and players following a decision he disagreed with.
Off the field, he lost the support of large sections of the club’s fans over his decision to drop long-serving captain Iker Casillas. He then followed that up by punishing any player who spoke out against his methods and decisions, which saw Sergio Ramos and Pepe left out of the side on various occasions. Reports suggest Mourinho has lost the dressing room now with only three players on speaking terms with their manager. Perhaps it’s the right time to part then.
