You Know It’s The Start Of A New Season When…..
Nothing says a start to a new season then Jose Mourinho getting into a war of words with another manager. Last year it was then Juventus coach Claudio Ranieri who Mourinho went after saying this about Ranieri. “At the age of 70 (Ranieri was only 57 at the time) he has won a Super Cup and another small cup. He is too old to change his frame of mind.”
This year Mourinho has decided to take it up a notch going after Italian head coach Marcello Lippi after he gave a prediction that Juventus would win the Scudetto this year. Innocent enough on the surface and really considering the history between Lippi and Juventus he would be hard pressed to pick another club but this set Mourinho off.
The special one has a point in saying the likes of Fabio Capello and Vincent del Bosque would never be drawn into such a debate yet Lippi has no problem showing favoritism towards Juventus and giving a compliment towards Inter would be like pulling teeth. What Mourinho should now recognize if he hasn’t beforehand is whatever he does in Italian football it will always be meet with second guessing. Italian football is a closed society if you are not Italian you will never get your proper credit be it as a player or coach. The Italian media as we speak are licking their lips hoping Mourinho and Inter fall this season. Even if Inter do win for a fifth straight year some flaw will be pointed out and obsessed upon. Unlike in England when Mourinho left he was treated like a hero when the time comes for Mourinho and Inter to go their separate ways the Italian media will be saying good riddance finding any flaw in Mourinho in their attempt to downplay his success as a coach.