He stood on the touchline, with his hands firmly embedded into his pockets. Grey overcoat, grey trousers, grey loafers and, these days, a shade of hair to compliment the look. Perhaps you remember how the younger Mourinho turned Porto into the kings of Europe and reminisced years later, with all the modesty for which he is famed, that he had fond memories of the Portuguese club with its “beautiful blue chairs, the UEFA Champions League trophy, God and, after God, me.
” Advertisement Maybe you recall the time he recommended George Clooney to play him in a movie and how, in his first spell with Chelsea, he seduced the media and public to such an extent that the sports writer Patrick Barclay wrote that the Special One “even had a nice scowl.” These days, however, it is becoming increasingly difficult not to wonder whether Mourinho will get the happy ending that he, almost certainly, believes his career warrants. That is not said with any malice or disparagement, especially after the manner in which his Fenerbahce side, with a 3-1 first-leg deficit, fought back to take their Europa League last 16 tie against Rangers to extra-time and, ultimately, the heartache of a penalty shootout defeat in Glasgow.
The team from Turkey had Ibrox worried, seriously worried, before Jack Butland made himself a hero, keeping out Fenerbahce’s first penalty-taker, Dusan Tadic, and then the fourth, Fred, the former Manchester United player. Mert Hakan Yandas became the third Fenerbahce player.
