Real Madrid: Mourinho's first year

Sunday was the first of forty-nine days of holidays for the Real Madrid template, which will return to training on July 11. A break after a grueling season (44 wins, 9 draws and 6 defeats in 59 competitive games) marked by the absolute leadership of Jose Mourinho, precisely one of the few who continue to work these days. After the win on Saturday against Almeria (8-1), the Portuguese coach went to the Stadium Bernabeu pitch to thank the warmth of the fans. He pointed his heart and promised more for the future. It was not a gratuitous gesture, because he has always argued that the best of his teams arrives in the second season.

Mourinho does not talk since last April 27 and has no plans to offer a public interview to evaluate the season at the end of this. He seems to have evaporated, but nobody in the club takes a decision without his consent. He has managed to turn the Florentino Perez's Real Madrid in one built to his specifications. After winning the duel with Jorge Valdano, has advanced two signings (Sahin and Altintop) with his unmistakable "stamp". Off the general director, he feels with full powers to govern the future.

Jose Mourinho with the Spanish Cup trophy

Mourinho has plenty reasons to feel indispensable, from the cold numbers (Spanish Cup title, second in the League with 102 goals and semi-finalists of the Champions League) to the remarkable tactics improvement of the team, specialized in fast and aggressive football. Thanks to intense pressure, we can see the Di Maria's attacking waves or the genius details of Özil. All for the greater glory of Cristiano Ronaldo, author of a superhuman figure (40 goals in 34 league games, 52 in all three competitions). Mourinho has managed to bury those lofty concepts of 'style' or 'excellence'. He is not interested to talk about football because he just plays to win.

He has also recovered the talent of Benzema and multiplied the valuation of Marcelo. The team works like a clock, with great confidence in defending and dreadful fury on the counterattack. In his statistics are 14 League wins at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium but there are also surrenders against Sporting and Zaragoza. He won in Milan, London, Bilbao, Valencia, Sevilla and Villarreal (with the League lost in the last three cases). But above all, he has saved his project and looking forward to Real Madrid fans with the Spanish Cup title 18 years later, against the best Barcelona that remind the times.

That April 20 in Mestalla Stadium, was the key day of the white season. Florentino's first title in his last five years as president, meant the best moral boost for fans, tired of the Barcelona's tyranny. People needed a messiah and the coach was raised to the altars. Everyone, from the president to the last member, took the coach's speech, which ranged between illusion and arbitration conspiracies.

Jose Mourinho: UEFA Champions League

Mourinho believed that the only way to stop Barcelona, began at the press conference. Therefore, since September, talked (often with reason) about referees, the schedule or the excessive laxity of the Barclona rivals. He appeared with a list of 13 mistakes of the referee in the match against Sevilla and hinted that Television owners favored the rest of Barcelona. He produced two send-offs in Amsterdam and his conflict with the UEFA reached the zenith on 27 April, with the referee Wolfgang Stark, in the Champions League semifinal. Two penalties and several lawsuits later, the Birdcage seems closed. At least for now.