José Mourinho – The Special One’s nine most controversial moments

The enigma that is José MourinhoYou either love him passionately or you hate him fervently. He has within him the power to start fist-fights among monks and make brothers reach for pickaxes to tear each other apart. And José Mário dos Santos Mourinho Félix wouldn’t have it any other way.The man’s success is unquestioned. The numbers are just plain scary – he has won seven domestic league titles and nine domestic cup crowns in four different countries, a UEFA Cup and two Champions Leagues crowns, all in a space of nine years from 2002-03 to 2011-12. Those medals and trophies speak for themselves. Or at least they ought to.As non-debatable as his success is, the shenanigans he gets up to along the way leave plenty of room for “healthy discussion”. Variously described as awesome, funny, arrogant, iconic or idiotic, the great Portuguese has had his fair share of controversial moments.Here’s a look at nine of the best (or worst – your point of view, really) of those:

#1 Old Trafford: Where it all started

Mourinho had never been a shy human being - he did after all announce that he would win the Portuguese Primeira Liga in his first season in charge of FC Porto, and then duly went ahead and won it. The man did wonders at Porto, leading them to total domestic domination and a completely unexpected European triumph.  

It was en-route this fairytale European jaunt that Mourinho well and truly announced himself onto the global footballing stage. His opponents in the round of 16 were Manchester United, and going into the final moments of the second leg the Mancunians had needed to just hold on to the one goal lead that Paul Scholes had given them. However, Porto refused to be intimidated and snatched a dramatic injury time equaliser through Costinha.

On-field fireworks apart, it was the celebration of the young Mourinho that caught the eye, as he sprinted at full pelt down the Old Trafford touchline, trenchcoat flapping behind him like a cape – in front of a visibly flustered Alex Ferguson – and launched himself into the huddle of celebrating players.

Many in the British Press and public celebrated this rare naked exhibition of passion and audaciousness from a manager, while many others promptly denounced the celebration as flippantly attention seeking, and the man himself as an arrogan glory hunter.

Neither side of the debate could have guessed what was in store for them over the course of the next 10 years.