Jose Mourinho Takes Inter Milan to The Champions League Final
The Stage was set for two of the biggest sides in European football to outshine each other as the Italian miserly defence of Jose Mourinho;s Inter Milan took on the free scoring Catalans of Barcelona.
It was nothing less than a shock when a fortnight ago a mesmeric performance by Jose’s men shut out their illustrious opponents and emerge with a 3-1 victory at the Guessepe Meazza, but last night game did not turn out as planned for the little magician the world knows as Messi.
Jose Mourinho has already won the Champions league before with porto on 2004 and to his credit are two English premier League titles along with last year’s scudetto and barring a catastrophic turn of event he is guaranteed a second after Claudio Ranieri’s Giallarossis threw away the advantage with a shock 2-1 loss to Sampdoria over the weekend, and now Inter have a 2 point lead with just 3 games to go.
Jose has a CV that needs no boasting his credentials speak volumes for the man and he didn’t need to prove a point by beating Barcelona but that did not stop him from going all out in last tonight’s match, h**l No!
This is one trophy that Inter has craved so much over the year, and not attaining this is what led to Rpberto Mancini’s demise at the club with their city rivals winning the ultimate prize in Europe three times already this decade.
Nou Camp fans will no doubt be asking each other how and where it all went wrong. How come Messi did not take on the other 11 all by himself? There is no question about it, Barcelona were out-thought over the two legs. They may scream about the late goal they were denied, but defeat would in truth have been harsh on Inter just as it is on Barcelona. Messi and the Co needed a plan B tonight, and they didn't have one. It'll be Mourinho v Van Gaal in Madrid next month and the Special One is ready for it.
If Inter had failed to come up with the goods last night, it could have seen Mourinho heading out of Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, even if Moratti has to pay off some or all of the remaining two years of his contract.
Mourinho is the world's highest paid coach. A salary of €9.5m a year puts him in the unusual situation of being paid more than any of the players at Inter.
His attacking intent was an outright statement of intent when he played an attacking 4-3-3 with another attacking midfielder in Goran Pandev operating in the midfield behind the attacking trio of Sneijder, Eto and Milito but last night game was the dragon’s den he was headed to and given Messi’s recent form at the Camp Nou Mourinho had to think twice before putting out such an attacking team again.
Mind Games were already been going on in the press for a few days now with Mourinho lebelling Barca as obsessed with winning the trophy at Santiago Barnabeau on may the 22nd.
It is not a dream for Barca, it is obsession. The obsession is reaching the final in Madrid," he said.
"It's one thing to follow a dream, it's another to have an obsession. For Barca it is an obsession."
Having worked as an assistant to Sir Bobby Robson at Barcelona Jose knows Barcelona desire to rub it in the faces of their illustrious madridsta rivals and boy would he not love to inflict some pain on them last tonight.
And with Luis Van Gaal already progressing to the final an appearance in the final for Mourinho will mean a unique feat will await the two managers, they will become only the third manger in the history of the game alongside Ottmar Hitzfield and Ernest Happel to win the Champiosn League with two different clubs.
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