Regime change has come to Manchester United. Yesterday the club welcomed a new manager, thus making the Jose Mourinho era now officially official. The Special One signed a three-year deal at Old Trafford, with an option to stay at the club until at least 2020. It was about as newsworthy a week as possible in the Man United universe, as we saw: an FA Cup triumph, Louis van Gaal sacked, trademark controversy holding up the Mourinho appointment, Zlatan Ibrahimovic transfer rumors, and now finally the Mourinho ascension.
This is a big get for United Executive Vice President Ed Woodward.
Mourinho gave his first ever interview as Red Devils Manager to the club’s official website. The Portugese looked to the future while hoping to move on from the past.
“I think I prefer to forget the past three years, I prefer to focus on the giant club I have in my hands now and I think what the fans are expecting me to say is that I want to win. I think the players need to listen — I want to win.”
Mourinho also brought up an anecdote that many people recall when they think of The Special One now coming to manage at Old Trafford.
“I think it’s very important and curious that I play so many times against Manchester United and I play so many times at Old Trafford with other clubs,” he said. “There was empathy, no problems, and in fact I was pushed by that feeling to say sometimes things that my clubs were not happy with.”
“I remember, for example, when I won at Old Trafford with Real Madrid and I said that the best team lost, and not many people were happy at Real Madrid.”
The Special One made that remark in March of 2013 when Los Blancos knocked United out of the Champions League in the round of 16.
A special Mourinho memory at the Theatre of Dreams. Now it’s time to make a few new ones.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, partnered with FOX Sports Engage Network. and News Now. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, currently contributes regularly to the Chicago Tribune’s RedEye publication and Bold Global.
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