To Roma, he is still Special

The news of Jose Mourinho’s return to management in Italy with Roma sparked much debate on whether the Portuguese could still be regarded as one of the world’s top coaches who could inspire teams to overachieve and produce their grittiest, finest and remarkable performances on the pitch. Is he still The Special One?

All roads lead to Rome, even The Special One: Roma apoint Jose Mourinho as their new coach

For over a decade, hiring Jose Mourinho was a guarantee of instant success, but the new Roma manager's decline has been so steep that he heads to Italy facing the last chance to salvage his tarnished reputation. Mourinho signed a three-year contract with Roma on Tuesday and will replace their current boss Paulo Fonseca at the end of this season.

The 58-year-old was ranked among the world's top managers after winning the Champions League at Porto and Inter Milan while enjoying domestic glory with Chelsea and Real Madrid. But Mourinho's golden touch has faded in recent years and his last three jobs all ended in the sack at Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham. He left Tottenham in April without winning a trophy during his reign for the first time since departing Portuguese club Uniao de Leiria in 2002. Once hailed as a serial winner, Mourinho finds himself reduced to working for serial underachievers.

Like Tottenham -- last crowned English champions in 1961 -- Roma, currently languishing in seventh place in Serie A, fit that description perfectly. The Giallorossi won the last of their three Serie A titles in 2001 and their only European Cup final appearance ended in defeat against Liverpool 37 years ago.

Pogba: 'Mourinho going against his own players'

You could sense at least a pinch of desperation about Roma’s general manager Tiago Pinto as he announced Mourinho's arrival with the same kind of praise that was seen at Tottenham in 2019.

"When Jose became available, we immediately jumped at the chance to speak with one of the greatest managers of all time."

Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy was no less gushing two years ago, but his praise ended up being laced with irony. Just 17 months before sacking the Portuguese, Levy was praising him.

"In Jose we have one of the most successful managers in football. We believe he will bring energy and belief to the dressing room."

Mourinho's ability to get into the minds of his players, cajoling them to reach new heights, was unparalleled during his golden spells at Porto, Chelsea and Inter Milan. But he has looked increasingly out of touch with a younger generation of players less responsive to his tough-love approach and bored by his rigid tactics.

The players were often left frozen out of the side completely and those who played were publicly criticised by their manager, the man who was supposed to protect them from outer pressure. While Liverpool's Jurgen Klopp and Manchester City's Pep Guardiola have reaped the rewards of connecting with their players on a personal level, the abrasive Mourinho never seemed to be taking that route.

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Mourinho hopes a return to Italy can revive his career in the same way he rejuvenated Inter Milan from 2008 to 2010. He won the Italian title twice and was named FIFA's world coach of the year in 2010 after landing a Champions League, Serie A and Coppa Italia treble.

The return to Serie A will see Mourinho try to challenge Inter, the club where he’s rightly considered a legend. You can argue about Jose's methods and recent results, but one thing is for sure. Everyone will be keeping an eye on Roma when the new season starts.