I trust everyone reading this had the chance to view the Champions League Final shown for the first time on a Saturday and on a network televison channel in the United States.

It was a great match with two wonderful goals by Diego Milito with assists by Wesley Schneider and Samuel Eto’o to bring the “Orejona” (Old Big Ears) to Inter Milan after 45 years. Jose Mario Felix Mourinho Dos Santos; aka: “The Special One” showed the world why he has earned that moniker. He earned it. He is a winner, a champion.

After 90 minutes and a 2 – 0 win over Bayern Munich and his old boss, he has become only the third man to win the Champions league with two different teams as a coach.

His journey as a coach has been an amazing one.

From a “translator” for Sr. Bobby Robson (RIP) at Porto, to a translator & assistant to both Robson and Luis Van Gaal at FC Barcelona, to head coach for Benfica, Uniao de Leira and then Porto, where he won the Portuguese Liga, Super Cup, UEFA Cup and Champions League. Then to Chelsea, who had not won a league title for 50 years, where he won back to back Premiership titles. Two thousand and nine sees him brought to the San Siro by Massimo Moratti to bring European glory to Inter Milan. His first year he delivers their 17th Scudetto, their fourth in a row. But the “holy grail” still eluded Inter.

Inter Milan have not won the European Cup since 1965 under “Il Mago” the Argentine Helenio Herrera, when they won back to back European cups. The last time Inter went to a European final was 1972 when Stefan Kovács’s Ajax sealed their win through two unanswered goals from the great Johan Cruyff but 2010 became the year of the treble for the Nerazzuri. The Inter faithful’s prayers was answered with their 18th Scudetto (5 in a row), the Copa Italia and the Champions League, leaving AC Milan, Juventus and 2nd place Roma in their shadow. Forty five years of pain are over. Internazionale Milan can retake their place as one of Football’s European greats. Amazingly brought by a man who has never played “top flight” football.

How does a former Physical Education Instructor and translator become coach? How is it that the majority of superstar players (with some exceptions) fail at coaching and those ex-players with little or no rating and non-players become creators of football dynasties? The difference is night and day. Some former players cannot leave the past. They cannot make that transition from player to ex-player on to a coach. Coaching is very different to playing. The key is constant study and a new outlook. A coach must not only teach tactics, he must be a psychologist to deal with the various personalities he commands and their issues. He must become a spotter of talent and a shrewd buyer and seller of players. He must also be a motivator to his charges, and learn to deal with directors and owners who expect success in a short time. A coach must know how to pick a staff to help him in day-to-day training and he must be able to devise a plan of work that will help him achieve his goals. Players do not deal with this kind pressure until they pass into the realm of coaching.

Mourinho has mastered all of the above. He has motivated players like Benny McCarthy, Deco, Dieder Drogba, Hernan Crespo and others to raise their performance. Mourinho is a tactician, who studies his opponents to the very last detail, even down to when the opposition waters their home pitch.

Mourinho has proven he knows how to buy talent. He brought Diego Milito, Lucio, Eto’o, Wesley Schneider, Maicon to make Inter competitive. He did the same at Porto & Chelsea. He spent owner Abramovich’s money wisely at Chelsea and created a team. Real Madrid spent 280 million euros this summer to buy Kaka, Benzema & Cristiano Ronaldo and won nothing. This shows you can’t buy trophies as some would have us believe.

Inter tried in the 1990’s and failed. Jose Mourinho also had the last laugh on Roman Abramovich who fired him when Mourinho told him what he could do with Andrei Shevchenko after Chelsea’s draw against Aston Villa, by knocking Chelsea out of the Champions League this year. Mourinho transfers his confidence to his players and creates a siege mentality. His players would follow him to hell if needed. Are Diego Maradona’s World Cup squad willing to do that for him?

I have been told that many players resent the fact that a man who was never a player could be so successful as a coach. I refer them to another man who never played either but made history at AC Milan, Parma, Atlético Madrid and Italy in the World Cup Finals in USA 94. Arrigo Sacchi, who won five domestic titles, one Copa del Rey. two Champions League trophies, two UEFA Super Cups, two Intercontinental Cups and one FIFA World Cup Runner Up. When asked how he could have won so much without ever having played. He responded “I didn’t realize you had to have been a horse to be a jockey!”

The author Rodrigo DeLuna is a long time supporter of soccer in our community, a huge Chelsea and Cruz Azul fan and advertising manager of FIESTA who are long time supporters of soccer!!!

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