Staff Pick: The Special One by Diego Torres

José Mourinho re-entered the consciousness of many football fans a few weeks ago after his Benfica team lost against Real Madrid. As ever with Mourinho, his post-match comments were divisive and ill-advised. The discussion around the controversy did, however, bring some attention to this remarkable book.

Written in 2013 by Spanish journalist Diego Torres, The Special One chronicles Mourinho’s three year stint as manager of Real Madrid. It’s a brilliant documentation of the madness of those three years which is equal parts hilarious and shocking. Trying to summarise all of the highlights is a fool’s errand but among them are the following:

• In his early months with Madrid, with the weather still being hot in Spain, Mourinho walking off in the middle of training sessions to sunbathe.

• Dissatisfied with the meat being served to the players, ordering that Madrid fire all their chefs and change meat-supplier.

• Mourinho devising characters for himself in his psychological work with the team and being inspired by Anthony Hopkins’ performance in the Silence of the Lambs.

• Convinced that there was a mole within the Madrid set-up, Mourinho ordering two separate sweeps of the team hotel to search for hidden microphones.

• Still not satisfied, in the lead-in to the clásico he asked that the phone records of players and club employees be studied to see who they were talking to.

• After drawing with Barcelona, sobbing in the dressing room as he accused his players of being “traitors” and betraying him by leaking the line-up.

There are numerous other examples of behaviour of this sort. As a coach, Mourinho is now a much-diminished figure and the outline of that can be seen in this excellent book. From page to page it piles on the bizarre anecdotes and ridiculous scenes but it is wildly entertaining throughout.

Borrow the book today from your local library.

Submitted by Peadar.