When asked about his opinion ahead of Barcelona vs Real Madrid, Jorge Valdano had no difficulty to answer. The Real Madrid director simply told Bwin:
“The experience of Jose Mourinho as a coach is an important factor for us. He has earned his prestige.
“He is good at playing cup finals and he knows how to transmit his ideas to his team. These attributes are vital for us to make an important step.”
Only few might dare challenging Valdano’s comments about Mourinho’s expertise in cup finals. The “Special One” is actually on the brink of creating history one more time.
In Portugal with Porto, in England with Chelsea and in Italy with Internazionale, Jose Mourinho tasted domestic cup glory. The controversial manager lost a Cup final only once; that was back in 2004 when the Eagles of Benfica inflicted defeat on the Dragons of Porto.
His statistics are remarkable. Jose Mourinho has won 75% of his Cup final and winning the 2011 Copa del Rey final on Wednesday will see him set a great record. The “Special One” would actually become the first Real Madrid manager to achieve cup glory in 4 different countries. As of now, the two-time treble winner shares his status with five other managers. Live Soccer TV presents you these facts in a brief manner:
John Benjamin Toshack: Achieved domestic cup glory in Wales, in Spain and in Turkey
Vujadin Boskov: Achieved domestic cup glory in the Netherlands, in Italy and in Spain
Helenio Herrera: Achieved domestic cup glory in France, in Spain and in Italy
Bobby Robson: Achieved domestic cup glory in England, in Portugal and in Spain
Louis van Gaal: Achieved domestic cup glory in the Netherlands, in Spain and in Germany
Jose Mourinho’s adventure across Europe is certainly not over. But can Barcelona sink the great ship of the “Special One” at the Mestalla Stadium? This remains to be seen...
Follow Barcelona vs Real Madrid LIVE and online on Live Soccer TV. The 2011 Copa del Rey final – don’t miss a thing!
