The Big Picture: Where's Jose?
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.It was shortly before 2.30am yesterday morning, Central European Time, that flight AZ8051 from Barcelona touched down at Malpensa, the airport that serves Milan.
It was another half an hour before the footballers of Internazionale stepped out into the arrivals hall to be greeted by a seething mass of supporters, but it was not the players that the majority of the 5,000-strong crowd, many sporting the black and blue colours of the Italian champions, had come to see. It was Jose Mourinho.
Hours earlier, Mourinho had been sprinting joyously across the turf of Barca's Nou Camp stadium to celebrate his side's famous triumph in the semi-final of the Champions League – against the team considered the best in Europe, the defending champions, everyone's favourites, and the club that had once employed him as a translator.
It had been a success against all the odds and afterwards the self-styled Special One, a moniker he attached to himself while managing Chelsea, had demanded that the club's supporters turn out to laud his men on their return – and they did as instructed. Mourinho emerged into arrivals behind his captain, the Argentine Javier Zanetti, and was soon surrounded. He may have gone a little greyer since his days in England, but that only seems to make him stand out even more in a crowd.
Never one to play down a moment, especially when he is, literally, the centre of attention, Mourinho said: "I thought I had reached the height of emotion with Chelsea's fans but Inter's supporters are even better. I'm in love with Inter and these fans, not Italian football – I respect it, but I don't love it."
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments