Mourinho elected as FIFA Manager of the Year

Another medal to add to his growing collection, José Mourinho, the Portuguese team coach at Spain's Real Madrid, won the FIFA Manager of the Year Award after his record-breaking season with Inter Milan (Champions League, Italian First Division championship and Italian Cup). What are his secrets?

Mourinho beat FC Barcelona's Pep Guardiola (whose team sits on top of the Spanish League, two points clear of Real Madrid) and the Spanish World Champion Vicente del Bosque. Mourinho's career achievement is, in a word, admirable:

He has won two European Champions League Cups with two different teams from two countries; he has won three different national championships and all the domestic trophies in the three countries he has worked full seasons so far. His career has included two trebles -  League title, Cup and UEFA Cup with FC Porto and with Inter, League title, Cup and Champions League.

FC Porto (Portugal) 6 trophies

2 Portuguese Championships, Portuguese Cup, Portuguese Super Cup, UEFA Cup, Champions League

Chelsea FC (England) 6 trophies

2 Premier League titles, FA Cup, 2 League Cups, 1 Charity Shield

Inter Milan (Italy) 5 trophies

2 Serie A titles, 1 Italian Cup, 1 Italian Super Cup, 1 Champions League

José Mourinho has a total of 17 titles. Putting things into context, Sir Alex Ferguson has 46 but Mourinho has time on his side to become the most successful soccer manager ever.

What is his secret?

Those who know him among the Portuguese coaching staff agree on one word: organization. He is a scientific manager, not relegating his preparation to catch-phrases such as "well we always play the same way, sometimes we win, sometimes we lose" but rather, dedicating himself to studying the opposition, finding out who will be playing and transmitting this information, and the tricks his adversaries will use, to his own team, which he has picked specifically for the match.

For example, the evening before the game, he will call his players before and after dinner at 6-minute intervals and show them clips of their probable adversary, showing them their special characteristics, such as if this player usually tries to pass on the left or on the right.

José Mourinho also has a persona for his professional life and an entirely different one for his private life, family and friends, allowing him to separate issues and concentrate on his priorities in his time off.

Timothy Bancroft-Hinchey

Pravda.Ru