Mourinho’s possible contract extension flies in the face of his ‘curse’
Jose Mourinho and Manchester United are reportedly close to reaching an agreement over a contract extension. Does the deal make any sense given the Special One’s usual third-year meltdown?
Jose Mourinho is one of the most successful managers in the sport, but he’s also managed to overstay his welcome almost every club he’s managed. The Manchester United manager, who has been in charge at Old Trafford since the start of the 2016-17 season, is on the verge of signing a new agreement that would keep him at the club beyond 2019.
Mourinho’s current three-year deal already seems like more than enough time for him to handle. While he hasn’t been able to lead United to a Premier League title, the hot-tempered 55-year-old has the ability to wear down reporters and management alike within a span of three years, leading to some unceremonious departures.
Mourinho has been sacked or decided to leave on his own during or at the conclusion of his third season at four of the eight clubs he’s managed (and that includes his first two jobs, very brief stints at Benfica and Uniao de Leiria). That has led to talk of a “three-year curse,” and the suggestion Mourinho’s incapable of staying at any club beyond that mark. He and Chelsea parted ways in his third season on two occasions, in 2007 and 2015, with performances on the pitch declining fast.
His two stints at Chelsea illustrate the Special One’s ability to ingratiate himself with ownership, only to let those relationships sour later on. Mourinho was successful during his first stay in London, winning Premier League titles in each of his first two seasons. Things went to pot in the third year, when he clashed with owner Roman Abramovich over a lack of funds to sign players during the January transfer window.
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In his second stint at Stamford Bridge, Mourinho signed a four-year contract in June 2014. In his second season, he helped Chelsea win the Premier League title. Just six months later, he was fired again after losing nine of 16 league games to start the 2015-16 season. He had signed a four-year contract extension before the start of that failing season.
The situation was similar for Mourinho when he coached Real Madrid. He was in charge of the Spanish giants from 2010-13. After two years at Madrid, Mourinho signed a four-year extension. Not winning a trophy that third year led to his exit. He later called the 2012-13 season the “worst season of my career.”
A potential new agreement with Manchester United would keep Mourinho at the Premier League club through the 2020-21 season. Excluding Alex Ferguson and Matt Busby, who spent 27 and 24 years in charge at Manchester United, respectively, the club’s longest serving manager since 1945 was Ron Atkinson, who coached the team for five years and five months, until October 1986.
Given Mourinho’s history, however, does anyone really think he will actually be pacing the sidelines in front of the Manchester United bench until 2021?