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Jose Mourinho pulls out fact sheet to defend his Real Madrid record

Dirty Tackle

Amidst reports that Jose Mourinho has already agreed to return to Chelsea this summer, criticism of his time at Real Madrid has increased. His detractors say he hasn't accomplished enough in Madrid to label the last three years as successful as his previous stops and that has upset the almighty Special One.

Under Mourinho, Real Madrid won La Liga last season — setting a new points record (at an even 100) in the process — and the Copa del Rey in his first season. They've reached the Champions League semifinal in all three seasons and are once again in the Copa del Rey final this year. Former DT contributor Richard Whittall did an excellent job of explaining just how impressive all of that is on Counter Attack. But to really drive home just how great he is, Mourinho brought a Rafa Benitez-like cheat sheet to his Friday press conference to ensure he could do his best to illustrate how his predecessors at Real Madrid were inferior to him. He also started off with a massive humble brag.

From the Guardian:

"It is my fault: I have won so, so, so much that it is hard to live up to those expectations. But the points record in the league is mine and no one can take that away. Madrid had gone 20 years without a Copa del Rey success and we won that, so maybe it's not so easy. No one can take that away. We also reached three semi-finals. That does not satisfy me and I am not happy to 'nearly' do it, but it is not easy either," he added, unfolding a piece of paper and reading a list of former Madrid managers.

"John Toshack, Di Stéfano, Antic, Beenhakker, Floro, Arsenio, Capello, Heynckes, Hiddink, Del Bosque, Queiroz, Camacho, García Remón, López Caro, Vanderlei Luxemburgo, Capello again, Ramos, Schuster, Pellegrini ..." he read. "Eighteen coaches in 21 years, five semi-finals. Meanwhile, that rubbish Mourinho [got to] three in three years. Three in three after five in 21 years? That shows that it is not easy. I repeat: I don't want to 'nearly' get there, nearly is nothing to me. But that league record is mine."

Mourinho went on to say, "I am proud to have been the coach that broke Barcelona's hegemony," who he described as "probably the best team in the world in the last 20-30 years." He then offered his paper to the congregated journalists, as if touching it would make them turn to dust.

So Jose Mourinho is talking facts and, the very same day, Rafa Benitez wins the Premier League manager of the month award at Chelsea. Clearly there is some kind of Freaky Friday body switching phenomenon going on here.