For those of us that missed the Special One following his departure from Stamford Bridge, the likely return of Jose Mourinho to top-class football with Inter Milan is welcomed with open arms.

Serie A will now be a much more lively place and to see the former Porto manager lock horns with Carlo Ancelotti, Claudio Ranieri and Luciano Spalletti will be a sight to behold.

Mourinho is expected to sign a three-year contract worth £7million a year, not that money is the primary reason for the move. Following his departure from Chelsea, Mourinho received a hefty pay-off and could probably retire on the back of his advertising potential alone.

'Arguably, the job at Inter Milan will be the biggest of Mourinho's career. Whilst Porto and Chelsea are big clubs, traditionally they cannot match the same level of history and grandeur as the Nerazzurri'


Arguably, the job at Inter Milan will be the biggest of his career. Whilst Porto and Chelsea are big clubs, traditionally they cannot match the same level of history and grandeur as the Nerazzurri.

And Mourinho has already commented that he “can’t wait to get started” as well as expressing his hunger to experience the Italian tactical side of the game. He says: "The first day of training will be beautiful. To be able to play and work on tactics, with less gym, less travelling, and less monotonous things. I want to change the traditional method of preparation.”

But Mourinho’s undoubted target at the San Siro is success in the Champions League.

Inter have won three Scudettos in a row now, although all have been tainted by the Calciopoli scandal, Mourinho will be expected to continue Inter’s dominance in Serie A and improve on the clubs poor showing in Europe in recent seasons. Massimo Moratti has seen a manager with a fine record in Europe.

A win with unfancied Porto will probably always remain Mourinho’s finest achievement and the Portuguese manager was supremely unlucky not to take Chelsea further than two Champions League semi-finals.

Inter have not tasted success in Europe’s premier competition since 1965 and their limp showing against Liverpool this season in the last 16 illustrated what a big gap there is for the top team in Serie A against Europe’s best. In recent months the Nerazzurri have also stuttered alarmingly in Serie A and could well have lost the title to Roma on the final day of the season.

The Scudetto was secured thanks to a brace in the final game from Zlatan Ibrahimovic and, if Mourinho can get the best out of the temperamental Swede, Inter should be successful. Other quality players include Brazilians Julio Cesar and Maicon as well as Argentinean Esteban Cambiasso and Luis Figo, who is expected to stay on for another year.

Mourinho also has the honour of taking charge of one of the best up-and-coming young strikers in Mario Balotelli. The son of Ghanaian immigrants could well be the next Wayne Rooney and it will be fascinating to see how this young striker progresses.

There are though some struggling players in the Inter squad. Patrick Vieira has never looked the same player in Serie A as he did for Arsenal and Marco Materazzi had a nightmare season, culminating in a missed penalty in the penultimate game of the season that would have secured the Scudetto. How Mourinho deals with “Matrix” will be intriguing.

Unlike their great rivals AC Milan, Inter have very few Italian-based players – during his time at both Porto and Barcelona Mourinho built his sides around home-based players. If the latest newspaper reports are to be believed, Frank Lampard, Didier Drogba and Ricardo Carvalho could all follow the Special One to the San Siro.

Football has a funny way of reuniting ex-players or managers with their former clubs. A match-up in the Champions League with Chelsea (perhaps managed by Roberto Mancini) must be on the cards. But, while Chelsea will be one of the favourites for European success next season, Inter must still be rated as outsiders.

For controversy and crazy antics there is no one more entertaining, it is a compliment to both men to call Jose Mourinho the new Brian Clough, yet the Special One may be taking on the hardest challenge of his career. For the greatest manager in Chelsea’s history, the next few seasons could define a legend.

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