The Blue return of the ‘Special One’

Jose Mourinho is leaving Real Madrid after a three-year spell and turns Blue again. Five years since his departure from London, the Portuguese manager also known as the ‘Special One’ returns to Stamford Bridge to take charge of Chelsea Football Club.

The new episode of the love and hate relationship between Mourinho and the owner of the club, Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich is probably one of the most anticipated events for football fans all around the world.

Reports say that Mourinho’s salary for agreeing to return to London on a four-year deal will be far from humble. For every year of his contract, the ‘Special One’ will receive more or less 14 million euros.

Transfer moves

Mourinho’s annual earnings though is probably just a tiny shred of the amount Abramovich will spend to satisfy the Portuguese manager’s transfer appetite.

Italian media suggest that Chelsea has already targeted Napoli’s Edinson Cavani, offering 30 million euros plus Spanish forward Fernando Torres in exchange for the Uruguayan international striker.

Meanwhile, Spanish media say that Real Madrid’s full-back Fabio Coentrao is ready to follow in Mourinho’s footsteps and travel from the Spanish capital to London. The Blues will have to spend 25 to 30 million euros to lure the 22 year-old Portuguese international.

Chelsea’s moves on the transfer chessboard keep coming. Bayer Leverkusen’s talented winger André Schürrle is set to join the Europa League winners in a reported 23.4 million euro deal that will see the Belgium international Kevin de Bruyne move in the opposite direction on loan.

John Terry is heading towards the sunset of his career and Mourinho knows that he needs to sign a top defender during the summer transfer-window. Porto’s Eliaquim Mangala seems to be quite suitable for the job. According to reports, the cost for his arrival at Stamford Bridge will be 35 million euros.

The divorce

Mourinho took charge of Chelsea in June 2004 and left in September 2007. During this period he won the Premier League title twice (2004-2005 and 2005-2006), one FA Cup (2006-2007), two League Cups (2004-2005 and 2006-2007) as well as one FA Community Shield in 2005.

Although Mourinho turned Chelsea into an undisputed ‘boss’ in England, the Blues’ plan to conquer Europe proved too difficult to complete, even for the ‘Special One’.

Mourinho failed to lead his team to a Champions League final and eventually his relations with Roman Abramovich, the man who fulfilled almost all of the manager’s requests regarding transfers never minding the cost, reached an edge.

The divorce “by mutual consent” was announced on the 20th of September 2007. Ten months later, on 2 June 2008, Mourinho was appointed the successor of Roberto Mancini at Internazionale.