As the beginning of the new season approaches, the excitement escalates. Everyone can feel it; the sound of the stadium roaring, your fresh new kit you put on the day of the game, and the smell of fall just around the corner. If there is one thing that all clubs have in common at this point it is the hope and aspirations of a new season about to take off. Many of those hopes and aspirations are brought upon by changes that their respective club makes during the months of complete boredom for any football fan – June, July and the beginning of August.
Thinking back to some of the changes that Real Madrid has made this summer, I think the biggest change of all came in the managerial position with the dethroning of Mourinho and the appointment of Carlo Ancelotti. There are plenty of strong opinions on Mourinho, but love him or hate him, he is undoubtedly one of the greatest managers of his generation, and in my opinion the best of all time. As a Real Madrid supporter, one cannot question the success he brought during a dark time of Barcelona dominance when he arrived in 2010. This begs the question; is Real Madrid better off without “The Special One”?
Let’s first take a brief look at the managerial career of “The Special One,” Jose Mourinho, and more specifically the trophies. Jose Mourinho has won league titles in four different leagues including:
- 2 Portuguese Liga
- 2 English Premier League
- 2 Italian Serie A
- 1 Spanish La Liga.
- 2 UEFA Champions League
Mourinho’s most impressive accomplishment coming with the Portuguese side F.C. Porto in 2004, when he led them to Champions League glory after knocking off Manchester United in the semi-finals. He also led Real Madrid to two consecutive Champions League semi-finals where glory was only inches away. The list continues, but I believe that you get the idea; this guy knows how to win no matter what you think of his personality. I have no doubt in my mind that if given one more year at Madrid, he would have brought “La Decima” to Madrid.
Now we are on to his replacement, Carlo Ancelotti. While his managerial career is impressive, it is lacking the weight of “The Special One.” Like Jose Mourinho, Ancelotti has won league championships in multiple countries including:
- 1 Italian Serie A championships
- 1 Premier League championship
- 1 France Ligue 1 championship
- 2 Champions League
Although it is proven that Mr. Ancelotti can win, he also has a strong record of finishing runner-up. Most notably and recent in the 2011-2012 season with PSG when he failed to lead a side stacked with world class players success in France’s Ligue 1 finishing runner-up to “less fortunate” side, Montpellier (Referring to the overflow of cash PSG was granted with).
As you can see, I am less than convinced that Real Madrid has upgraded managers, but I also don’t think they had a choice. Jose Mourinho heard the call of his love asking for him to return and I believe his heart has always been with Chelsea and the English Premier League. While watching the games last season it seemed as though he lost a bit of his passion. He had a business as usual attitude. Where was the Jose that ran around the pitch at Old Trafford? Where was all the emotion on the touchline we were so used to seeing? It was also clear throughout the season that there was a power struggle within the club, more specifically between the players and Mourinho.
It is obvious that Manager vs. Manager, Mourinho is the clear winner. With that being said, I also believe that there are some benefits to having a new manager, perhaps a variable that cannot be seen by looking down at a resumé.
Ancelotti, although not as decorated as Mourinho, is more than capable of managing a team to success. Without going into summer signings, Ancelotti is going to bring fresh ideas and a fresh managerial style that is unique in his own right. It provides a new energy to the players and can help raise the moral going into a new season. If there truly was a power struggle as so often rumored, then this could be exactly what Real Madrid needs to ease the tension in the locker room. Real Madrid has already begun the preseason undefeated and hopefully they can transition the momentum into the regular season. It may be that change is all that is needed for Real Madrid to bring Champions League glory back to Madrid. So if you ask me; is Real Madrid better off without Mourinho? I say “yes”! And let’s just hope it is not my hopes and aspirations talking.
At the end of the day we may not have the best manager in the world, but we have a very capable one. We have the hope that change brings and we also have a team that is full of world class players, including the best player in the world, Cristiano Ronaldo. There is nothing but high expectations for this team to bring home the most sought after trophy in club football, the UEFA Champions League. For Real Madrid, the season begins this Sunday, the 18th of August. Let’s hope that it is ending on the 24th of May in Lisbon raising the trophy!
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