José Mourinho, the self-proclaimed Special One, is not exactly a man who lacks self-confidence. However, in the week when he marked his 50th birthday, even Real Madrid’s current manager could be forgiven for indulging in a little quiet introspection, as his tenure has become strangely embroiled in allegations of in-fighting and player subterfuge.
Of course, the very notion of controversy and speculation will have done little to agitate the Portuguese. Mourinho, after all, has hardly been a stranger to the headlines over the years. Indeed, some might say he has forged a career basking under the spotlight, milking the attention for all its worth, before inevitably emerging victorious in a blaze of trophy-laden glory.
But, despite his protestations to the contrary, José is human like the rest of us, and right now you suspect that he will be hotter under the collar than he would have us believe.
For some months now, it’s been strongly rumoured that certain Madrid players are less than happy with Mourinho’s management. Whilst acknowledging that the Madrid squad boasts prima donnas aplenty, this is nevertheless surprising when you consider that the team claimed the league title last season, thereby breaking rivals Barcelona’s recent domestic dominance.
Any lingering unrest was possibly quelled in light of that success, but a poor run of league form during this campaign – Mourinho has already gone public with his view that Barca’s huge lead at the top is already unassailable – has possibly brought matters to a head.
More than possibly any other club, Real Madrid’s supporters have always prided themselves in not only winning, but doing so in style. In that regard, the common consensus is that Mourinho has made a habit of winning down the years, but sometimes by sacrificing style and finesse along the way.
That Barca have combined silverware with a dash of flair and artistry quite unparalleled in the modern game may have led to more than just a handful of Madrid players – and, perhaps more importantly, supporters - becoming dissatisfied.
For a while now, both Sergio Ramos and Iker Casillas have been pinpointed in the press as serial troublemakers within the squad, and, for all he mentioned no names, Mourinho admitted there were some ‘rotten apples’ among his star-studded squad of players in a recent interview.
Predictably, both Ramos and Casillas have denied any wrongdoing, although they won’t have done their case much good with the revelation, as reported in ‘Marca’ (Spain’s biggest selling newspaper) that they recently lunched with Real’s president, Florentino Pérez.
Let’s assume for a moment that the lunch did take place – the newspaper, despite the denials from players and president alike, is sticking to its story – and that the subject of Mourinho did get raised, however briefly. In that case, señor Pérez may be faced with a decision in due course – it’s either the retention of the two Spanish internationalists, or his celebrated manager. In other words, something has to give.
This dilemma, of course, reaches beyond the two players in question, in that the sense of their importance and influence to Madrid could be said to outweigh their form on the pitch, at least over the past year or so.
Ramos has long since struck many as being of limited ability, a man who must surely concede more fouls than almost any other player. And Casillas, Spain’s revered European Championship and World Cup winning captain, has suffered an astonishing dip in form in recent months, something which led to his being dropped from the first team towards the end of 2012.
As ever, the outcome of this particular difficulty will lie in the success, or otherwise, of the team during the second half of the season. Given that the league title has effectively been lost – and with a difficult Copa Del Rey semi-final second leg against Barcelona on the horizon - Madrid’s forthcoming Champions League last 16 clash against Manchester United assumes even greater significance.
Should Madrid lose out to the Old Trafford side, the protestations of Ramos and Casillas may be fully vindicated, with the result being Mourinho moving on this summer. However, should a tenth European Cup find its way into the Bernabeu’s trophy room this summer, it may well be the two Spanish internationals who are left with egg on their faces.
Given his track record, it would take a brave man to bet against Mourinho emerging the victor in all this, although the lingering suspicion is that his reputation has been damaged to some extent by this unseemly drama.