Is Jose Mourinho at Roma a ‘special coup’ or a nostalgic gamble?

Mourinho’s brand has been diminished by successive disappointments at Manchester United and Tottenham, but in Italy his Special One moniker continues to be used without sarcasm

Jose Mourinho’s appointment at Roma this week has taken the football world by surprise. Picture: Clive Brunskill/Pool/AFP/ via Getty Images

It took 11 years for Internazionale to reclaim top billing in Italy, winning Serie A for the first time since their historic Treble of 2010. Within two days, José Mourinho had returned to relegate them off the front page.

News of his appointment by Roma arrived like a thunderclap from a cloudless sky. The club’s intention to move on from Paulo Fonseca was well known, but Maurizio Sarri was thought to be the frontrunner. The pivot to Mourinho was met with bewilderment and enthusiasm in the Italian capital. Fabio Capello described it as “not a choice, but a broadside”.