DECRYPTION – At a crossroads at the end of a bumpy season, Paris-SG must ask itself the right questions. Portuguese is an answer.
Barring a huge surprise, Christophe Galtier will no longer be PSG coach next season. It remains to be seen who will succeed him… and who will make the final decision, Doha or Luis Campos. Here and there, we talk about Julian Nagelsmann, Thiago Motta or Marcelo Gallardo, without forgetting Max Allegri. One name, however, has something to excite Parisian supporters a little more, Jose Mourinho, under contract until 2024 on the AS Roma bench, where he has been officiating since 2021. Certainly, the greatest exploits of the “Special One” begin to date, it represents “old-fashioned” football and does not stick to the idea that Qataris have of show football. In addition, we know that he often leaves his locker room to fire and blood after two years…
But the important thing is elsewhere as the hour is serious in Paris, even if the coronation is close in L1. So Mourinho has everything to succeed, perhaps even more than Zinedine Zidane, the dream of Doha. Moreover, the former leader of the Blues has already dismissed the Red and Blue in the recent past. Also requested by PSG at the start of the Qatari era, in 2011 and 2013, the Portuguese would now be “interestedby the challenge according to some sources. Good pick ?
Rigor, discipline and character
With Galtier, we were going to see what we were going to see, finished the privileges, finished the republic of the players. Words, nothing but words… The native of Marseille suffered like his predecessors. With Mourinho, everything suggests that it would not be the same lemonade. Beyond an oversized ego and outspokenness that would be all the rage at a press conference, the 60-year-old Portuguese technician is known for his character, his ability to unite a locker room while not being afraid to type. fist on the table. Remember the clash with Paul Pogba, whom “Mou” did not hesitate to relegate to the bench when he was Manchester United’s number 1 asset… One example among others. With him, discipline would not be an empty word on the Camp des Loges side. It wouldn’t hurt some people!
Here in 2015, during a duel between PSG and “his” Chelsea, Mourinho may soon be at home at the Parc des Princes. JB AutissierJB Autissier / Panoramic
Obviously, it would be an illusion to believe that Mourinho could, on his own, change the landscape and the culture in Paris. It would require awareness among leaders. And precisely, the double winner of the Champions League does not have his tongue in his pocket in front of his players any more than his bosses. Example ? Jose Mourinho likes to tell how he imposed the unknown Didier Drogba on Roman Abramovich, when Chelsea could afford any striker. “Mr. Abramovich, pay and say nothing“, he would have said to his former president. We imagine the head of Nasser Al-Khelaïfi or the Emir of Qatar faced with such verve… Still, with his status, his CV and therefore his character, Mourinho would have a better chance of existing against the suspicious Parisian decision makers.
winning machine
Whether we like his style, his personality, his escapades, his vitriolic declarations or not, Jose Mourinho is a winning coach, it is undeniable. From Porto to Roma, via Chelsea, Inter, Real and Manchester United, championships in shambles, national cups and of course, European trophies. Starting with the C1, with Porto (2004) and Inter (2010). The latest? The Europa League Conference with Roma (2022), the Wolf club’s first title since… Serie A in 2001. It is only with Tottenham that Mourinho has not increased his CV. In his defense, the Spurs have only lifted one trophy in the 21st century, a League Cup, in 2008… In short, the Mourinho method still works. It’s not necessarily pretty, but it’s effective. And the person concerned has not coached a team of the stature of that of PSG for a long time, without offending the Red Devils, Spurs and Giallorossi.
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Nothing to prove, nothing to lose
As we have said, Jose Mourinho has one of the most impressive CVs on the world circuit. A legend. The experience of the very high level, he has it. That of the difficult locker rooms too. The native of Setubal has absolutely nothing more to prove. Whatever happens, he will be remembered as one of the best coaches in history. And he would therefore have nothing to lose on the banks of the Seine. A bit like when Carlo Ancelotti found the Real bench after experiences at Everton and Naples, when many imagined him “has been”, overwhelmed, rinsed. Ancelotti and Mourinho, same fight?
Francophone
No concern for adaptation in sight for Jose Mourinho, who perfectly masters the language of Molière. Gifted in languages, the client of agent Jorge Mendes also speaks Portuguese, his mother tongue, but also English, Spanish and Italian. Perfect for talking in a locker room as international as that of PSG. Besides, Mourinho knows Ligue 1, and he readily admits that he would see himself there. “I can imagine it. I have worked in four countries. I like that, to know other cultures, to learn. Working in another league would be a fantastic experience“, he said in 2019, on beIN SPORTSon the sidelines of a Losc match.
Here in Lille, in 2019, Luis Campos and Jose Mourinho are no strangers… Gwendoline Le Goff / Panoramic
Campos-compatible
If he was present in the North in 2019, it was because Jose Mourinho had been invited there by a certain Luis Campos. The two men have known each other for ages. And they like each other. “We are friends, we worked together at Real Madrid. I know him very well“, he said, still in Lille. Mourinho had also taken the opportunity to discuss his “good relationship with Christophe (Galtier, Losc coach at the time). I knew him during Manchester Utd-Saint Etienne in the Europa League“. Perhaps he will have the opportunity to succeed “Galette”.
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One thing is certain: Campos has never hidden that he would like to work with his compatriot again. “Jose is an incredible leader and his level of demand for himself and his team is just amazing. He is a legend of our sport.“, he said in 2021, in an interview with the Telegraph . And to add, about potential reunions with said Luis Campos: “I always seek to work with the best professionals in the world and Jose is part of this very select group in the football industry. If it ever happens, it will happen naturally.“Has the hour arrived?
