Jose Mourinho became a prominent figure in the footballing world in the early 2000’s at FC Porto. In his first season, he won his first Premier Liga title with a then-record number of points. He found further success in his next season, winning the Portugese Super Cup, Primeria Liga and his first Champions League title with a win over Monaco in 2004.

His high-profile move to Chelsea came with a similar amount of success, with back-to-back title wins. However, what truly set him apart from his peers was his demeanor. He became a fan-favorite with his entertaining press conferences, where he didn’t refrain from speaking what was on his mind, reminding people of his credentials, or attempting to get into his opponents heads with bizarrely creative insults.

He set this precedent in his very first press conference at Chelsea, with this famous quote that led to his moniker – “The Special One”.

Please do not call me arrogant, because what I’m saying is true. I am [a] European Champion, so I’m not one of… of the bottle. I think I’m a special one.

From Translations to Tactics

Mourinho’s success is a result of his own volition. He committed himself to coaching at an early age due to his lack of a physical skill set to progress to the next level as a player. He moved up the ranks of Portugese football due to his drive and attention to detail. Eventually, he broke through as a translator for Bobby Robson at Sporting CP, subsequently following him to Porto and Barcelona as an assistant manager.

When I was twenty, I was nobody in football. I was somebody’s son. You know? And now, with fifty-five, I am what I am, I did what I did, because of work. Because of my talent, and because of my mentality.

When he got the opportunity to become a manager at Benfica, he employed a unique managerial style that he had been developing for years – combining his tactical astuteness with psychological motivation to transform his players into born winners. Instead of being a footballing aesthete, he preferred to be pragmatic. For him, playing reactive football and tailoring your team to the opponent’s weakness was the best way to win games. He often challenged his players publicly and privately if their performances were not up to his standard.

His philosophy made him a divisive figure among his peers and players. For every player that loved his man-management and were willing to “die for him” on the pitch, there were feuds with players who believed that he went too far with his criticism. Some of Mourinho’s peers felt that he was “anti-football” with his overly defensive tactics. But at the end of the day, his titles and success in different countries speak for themselves.

The portrait of Mourinho – his love of winning, charisma and shrewd nature made me realize that he was the leader that Niccolo Machiavelli wrote “The Prince” for. During the period of the Italian renaissance, the belief among political philosophers was that a ruler had to be virtuous and ethical in order to use his political powers effectively. However, Machiavelli’s experience with handling the affairs of the Republic of Florence proved otherwise. He strongly backed the idea that being virtuous gives you no more authority. Goodness and right are not enough to maintain power, or political office. In fact, the only concern of the ruler should be to acquire and maintain power.

The Purveyors of Pragmatism

One can draw parallels between Mourinho and Machiavelli’s rejection of conventional wisdom. They both see themselves as pragmatists in a world of idealists.

There are lots of poets in football, but poets, they don’t win titles.

Machiavelli was also a proponent of the belief that coercion creates legality – to keep yourself in the throne, it is better to rule with fear rather than affection. When Mourinho confronts his players, or challenges them to prove him wrong, he sees it as an unorthodox form of motivation. His previous feuds have also shown that he does not feel the need to be on good terms with his players. Rather, it is his responsibility to get the best out of them, even if it requires unconventional methods.

Mourinho would agree with Machiavelli’s principle of virtù, which is explained in The Prince as the quintessential quality that a ruler requires in order to “maintain his state” and “achieve great things”. One of its principles includes having a “flexible disposition”, that is, to have the presence of mind to create or identify strategies and techniques that are appropriate to particular circumstances. Again, this is similar to Mourinho’s philosophy of reacting to the opponent.

We knew where we were better than them, we tried to kill their good qualities and exploit their weaknesses.

Are Mourinho and Machiavelli similar? Yes. He’s agreed with this himself, but he states that he is not completely Machiavellian. For there are two Mourinho’s – while one is antagonistic and at times insufferable, the Mourinho in private has an extraordinary capacity for hard work and loyalty. It is important to keep this distinction in mind.

Sources

• https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2022751-zlatan-ibrahimovic-and-5-other-players-who-love-jose-mourinho
• https://www.goal.com/en-sg/news/mourinho-lots-of-poets-in-football-but-poets-dont-win-titles/1csgj1h77nzul1gxpu26ywcg9n
• https://www.goal.com/en-sg/news/mourinho-lots-of-poets-in-football-but-poets-dont-win-titles/1csgj1h77nzul1gxpu26ywcg9n
• https://web.archive.org/web/20070331113408/http://www.newstatesman.com/200512190026