Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo reportedly wants fellow countryman Jose Mourinho to take over the managerial hot seat at Juventus. Here are five key reasons why CR7 could be onto something…
Ronaldo and Mourinho’s representative Jorge Mendes are both believed to be fully behind the idea of bringing ‘The Special One’ to Juve. Italian newspaper La Gazzetta Dello Sport says: “Two parties are pressing Juventus to take on Jose Mourinho as their new coach.
“One, logically, is his representative Jorge Mendes and the other appears to be Cristiano Ronaldo, who has put their differences at Real Madrid to one side and backs the appointment of his compatriot."
The recruitment of Mourinho as Juve’s next manager would appear to make a lot of sense on a number of levels. Here’s RT Sport’s take on why ‘The Special One’ could be ‘The Right One’ for ‘The Old Lady of Turin.’
1. HE KNOWS WHAT MAKES RONALDO TICK
The pair have worked together at Real Madrid and, while they enjoyed a changeable relationship at the Bernabeu, both men would head into the new era in Turin knowing that for the pair to achieve maximum success, they will need to work together.
Ronaldo is now older, wiser, and more mature than the at-times hot-headed star that took to the field in Madrid.
And with CR7 himself believed to be behind the push to bring Mourinho to Juve, it would appear the ideal situation for Mourinho to arrive into.
There's also the added bonus of Mourinho knowing he’d be arriving at a club with one of the greatest players of the generation in his squad. Not a bad position to start from.
2. EVERYWHERE HE GOES, HE WINS
Check the record. Jose Mourinho is a winner.
He’s captured league titles in every major European league he has managed in, with two Portuguese Primeira Liga crowns, three English Premier League titles, two Italian Serie A titles and one Spanish La Liga championship to his name.
He’s also captured a host of domestic cups and, crucially for the higher-ups in Turin, he knows how to win in Europe, too.
Mourinho won the UEFA Champions League with Porto and Inter Milan, and captured the UEFA Europa League with Manchester United. He also won the UEFA Cup in its old guise back in 2003 with Porto.
And, with Juve looking to make the jump from Scudetto champions to champions of Europe, appointing Mourinho would give them a boss who knows how to navigate his way to the trophy.
3. HE KNOWS HOW TO WIN THE SCUDETTO
While winning in Europe is clearly a major aim for the bosses at Juventus, maintaining domestic success in Serie A is a must. And, in his previous stint managing in the division, he proved he’s more than capable of doing the business on the domestic front.
‘The Special One’ delivered Scudettos in both years he was at Internazionale, and threw in the Supercoppa Italiana (2008) and Coppa Italia (2009-10) for good measure, too.
And his pursuit of domestic dominance didn’t distract from the biggest prize in the club game, either, as he capped off his incredible tenure at the San Siro by securing the UEFA Champions League.
If Juve are looking for a man with a proven track record of achieving domestic success in Italy while also winning on the continent, Mourinho certainly ticks all the boxes.
4. HIS STYLE IS PERFECTLY SUITED TO SERIE A
One of the big criticisms of Mourinho while in England was his style of play.
His teams have always looked to build from a strong base, and at times that has lent to some pragmatic team selections and tactics in certain matchups.
More often than not it’s proven successful, particularly at Porto and Chelsea where he built his teams’ successes on the back of a solid defense and a hard-running midfield.
And in Italy, where defending isn’t just a necessity, it’s a way of life, Mourinho’s style would appear a perfect fit for Serie A, and for the players already at the club.
5. HE’S A MAN WITH A POINT TO PROVE
Despite all his successes as a manager, it’s certainly fair to say his time at Manchester United was more challenging than the other big-club jobs he’s had.
With a squad in transition, an alarming lack of quality in defensive positions and dressing-room unrest, Mourinho’s big personality didn’t always mesh with the players at Old Trafford.
And, without the club’s backing to bring in the quality the Old Trafford club so badly needed, his tenure at United ended without him delivering the league title the club, and he, had hoped for.
It was his only full stint at a club without a domestic league title since joining Porto in 2002. And you can bet he’ll be doubly determined to bounce back with a bang if he gets the chance to return to management with Juventus.
In summary, he’s motivated, he knows the league, he knows Juve’s big-name star and he has a track record that is the envy of almost every other manager in world football.
But will the higher-ups in Turin decide that he’s the man for Juventus? Watch this space…