Manchester United news: For all his hubris and controversy, Jose Mourinho remains a footballing romantic at heart

Three minutes into extra time at the JJB Stadium, Monday 15 August, 2005, and Premiership champions Chelsea faced the prospect of a shock 0-0 draw to newly-promoted side Wigan. After the historic highs of Jose Mourinho’s first season in charge, the Blues’ title defence looked set to suffer its first setback against a team who had never before played in football’s top division. But with barely 30 seconds left on the clock, Hernan Crespo struck to hand Chelsea victory and deny Paul Jewell’s side the most memorable of starts to Premiership life.

Wild celebrations ensued but amid such revelry there was one figure who wasted no time in making his way to commiserate Jewell on such heart-breaking defeat. Indeed, apologies took precedence for Mourinho. Speaking after the game, the Chelsea boss praised Wigan for their spirited display and admitted his side were fortunate to come away with all three points. It was an honest display of goodwill that belied his trademark arrogance and spiky disposition.

Fast-forward 12 years and Mourinho’s reputation as a melodramatic egotist has long since overshadowed this softer side. With his repeated petulance this season and outspoken criticisms, more so than ever before Mourinho has been cast as the football villain – one he plays with the perfect mesh of pantomime and Hollywood. As Manchester United enjoy their best run of form in eight years, the attention may have shifted from the Portuguese – focusing instead on the apparent struggles of rival Pep Guardiola across town – but there’s no doubt that Mourinho’s transgressions, as opposed to his affections, continue to define him.

But beneath the cynical, abrasive veneer he chooses to wear lies a deeper, romantic dedication to the sport. For Mourinho, football has always been his sole drive in life. Against his mother’s wishes, the young Jose shunned enrolment in business school to study sports science at the Technical University of Libson. After graduation, and a number of coaching spells in Libson, Mourinho soon established himself as an interpreter under Sir Bobby Robson. Throughout the early 1990s, the Portuguese honed his skills, learning what he could, slowly building a reputation for himself as he set his sights on future glory. And then one memorable night in Manchester changed everything. As the euphoric Mourinho charged down the Old Trafford touchline to celebrate with his victorious Porto players and fans, it became apparent that the new kid on the block had officially arrived.

Of course, only he can be held responsible for how the footballing world has perceived him since. Through his own words and actions, the ‘Special One’ provides the material on which to judge him - which is why his latest remarks ahead of United’s League Cup semi-final with Hull remind us of the paradox of Mourinho; Jose the arch-cynic and Jose the hopeless footballing romantic.

"I have affection for every match,” he said. “If I lose a friendly match, I am not happy so imagine a competition. But, honestly, especially after the move from Cardiff to Wembley - for me Wembley is Wembley - and I want to go there as many times as I can.

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“Hull may look at the semi-final as a big occasion. Maybe for them, they have a more important game three days later in the Premier League. Liverpool is a big match for us but we want to be in the final.

“We will face Hull with all the power we have. The fact we are winning matches is good. We are not going to throw away an opportunity for that. Against Hull I will play with fresh players. It is easy to know our team. Zlatan, Pogba, Valencia, Herrera.”

The fact Mourinho intends to field leading stars such as Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Paul Pogba adds weight to his words. This is something he wants to win – and his record bears testament to that. He lifted the trophy with Chelsea on three separate occasions throughout his time at Stamford Bridge, in 2005, 2007 and 2015. The competition may have declined in prestige over the years but Mourinho remains committed.

Critics may point to his disdain for the Europa League but given his past achievements, it's perhaps understandable that personality and pride trump dedication to the cause in this instance. As a two-time Champions League winner, the Europa League is light-years away from where he wants to be. Sir Alex Ferguson, just as hot-blooded and proud, would surely have expressed similar apprehensions.

Added to all of this are the overlooked acts of footballing romanticism, as with that night in Wigan, that continue to suggest there is more to Mourinho than meets the eye. His kind words to former Swansea boss Bob Bradley on arrival in the Premier League, the bottles of wine left in tribute to Sir Alex Ferguson, the years of graft under the tutelage of Robson and Louis van Gaal at the Nou Camp. Mourinho even once invited a Mexican cleaner, who had travelled nearly 6,000 miles to attend El Clásico, into his backroom team for Real Madrid’s Champions League clash with Manchester United in 2013.

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For all his hubris and antagonism, the romance of the game continues to underpin the Jose psyche. It’s telling that Aitor Karanka, a former colleague of Mourinho’s at Madrid, recently insisted that the Portuguese is a “different man” away from the limelight. As outsiders looking in, we’re unlikely to catch a glimpse of such an individual – especially in this new era of English football. But as that night in Wigan 12 years ago attests to, he certainly exists - despite his many flaws and contradictions.