Netflix has just released a three-part documentary series on the Portuguese manager José Mourinho, just as he has made his return to Real Madrid 13 years later. The series, titled simply Mourinho, is providing big headlines as the coach, now 70, reveals he was offered the job of being Manchester United coach after Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013 after 26 years.
Mourinho would have been "the Chosen One", a moniker later given to David Moyes, who was the one who took over the role of Ferguson... only to be fired after ten months.
However, Mourinho said he "needed to feel loved" after a tough final year at Real Madrid, and chose to return to Chelsea instead. Mourinho ended up at Manchester United in 2016, winning the Europa League, but was also sacked after two and a half years.
But the most talked-about part of the documentary in Spain is when he talks about Iker Casillas, who was captain of the team and considered the best goalkeeper in the world at the time when Mourinho took over the team.
Mourinho recalls the first three times he spoke with Casillas: the first time Casillas asked for more vacation for the national team players, the second time was to delay training by an hour because there was a lot of traffic in Madrid, "and the third time, he told me they didn't want to go to the hotel, that they preferred to see each other on match day and go directly to the stadium. In a short period of time, I realized they are spoiled".
Mourinho famously went to side-line Casillas in a trophyless 2012/13 season, and his public clashes with him and other players like Sergio Ramos led to a tense atmosphere and a division within fans, and Mourinho left the club. 13 years later, Mourinho may face similar problems of major stars and major egos in the dressing room, will he be able to get better results this time?
