Despite defeat with Fenerbahce, history is being kind to flawed revolutionary and his two underdog Champions League titles
There was an early moment of excitement at the start of Thursday night’s meeting of Rangers and the José Mourinho industrial entertainment complex (Fenerbahce branch). As the players lined up on the Ibrox pitch Mourinho was caught by the TV cameras leaning forward on his bench, rubbing his hands, looking up to salute the watching world because of course being watched is always the game.
The most significant part of this tableau was Mourinho’s coat, which was ludicrous. This was a statement coat, a coat that looked as if it was given to him by the emperor of Sylvia with a ruby in each pocket. The key detail was its colour, a shade of grey so unnatural its only function is to tell you this garment cost as much as a tenement house, the whole thing finished in a weirdly natureless luxury fur, like a dictator’s dressing gown. Frankly, the coat was a brilliantly played opening gambit, a one-goal start on the night.
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