Tottenham Hotspur’s sacking of Jose Mourinho draws the curtain on a relationship that was never meant to be
Amid the chaos of the proposed European Super League, Tottenham Hotspur dropped a bombshell by announcing the sacking of manager Jose Mourinho.
The Portuguese tactician joined Spurs in December 2019, taking over from Mauricio Pochettino. However, things haven’t worked out for him at the club.
On Monday, Tottenham Hotspur released a short statement which read:
“The club can today announce that Jose Mourinho and his coaching staff Joao Sacramento, Nuno Santos, Carlos Lalin and Giovanni Cerra have been relieved of their duties. Ryan Mason will take First Team training today and a further update will follow in due course.”
Mourinho leaves Spurs in the seventh position in the Premier League, just days before the club’s crucial Carabao Cup final against Manchester City.
A relationship that was never meant to be
It’s fair to say Tottenham Hotspur are the smallest club that Jose Mourinho has managed in his career. For a man who has handled Real Madrid, Chelsea and Manchester United, it was a bit surprising that he ‘dropped’ to take the Spurs job.
However, considering Tottenham Hotspur’s rise to become perennial top-six contenders in the Premier League, the decision was understandable. The truth, though, is that this was a relationship that was never meant to be.
Mourinho is famed for playing defensive football, something that Spurs fans are not used to, having witnessed some great attacking football in the Pochettino era.
Mourinho is usually sacked in his third season at a club, but it has come too early at Tottenham Hotspur. This is a result of several factors, including insufficient investment in the squad and a sheer lack of effort from his players.
As a serial winner, the Portuguese tactician is not used to such an environment, and this day was bound to come. For a man who has won trophies at every club he’s managed, Tottenham Hotspur is the first club where he won nothing.
What next for Jose Mourinho?
With an impressive CV, it remains to be seen what Jose Mourinho’s next move will be.
On Monday, when journalists caught up with him to speak about his future, he simply said:
"No need for breaks or recharged batteries. I'm always in football."
While Mourinho has his eyes set on a return, there are doubts regarding the number of big clubs that are in need of his services at the moment.
Mourinho's stock has drastically fallen in the last four years, and perhaps it’ll be better for him to take a sabbatical, reboot his methods and return to the game as an improved manager.