Mourinho is being left behind

Mourinho is still noisy as usual, but victory is no longer a parallel.

According to Ian Ladyman - a writer for the Daily Mail , Mourinho is no longer a "weighty" figure in European football, and his recent controversial actions are just his way of trying to attract attention as his halo gradually fades.

On April 3, Mourinho caused a stir when he pinched Galatasaray coach Okan Buruk’s nose after the final whistle in a tense Turkish Cup match. The action caused a stir in public opinion and was likened to childishness, and was also the last straw in the downhill journey of a coaching legend.

"Mourinho is getting older and it's not a pretty age," Ladyman said. "The only thing that's changed is that he's not winning anymore. And that's eating away at him every day."

Although Mourinho remains a big name in Türkiye, having managed a club as big as Fenerbahce, Ian Ladyman believes that in European football terms, he is a strategist whose time has come. "He still has a voice, but he is no longer the one shaping the times," Ladyman added. "What hurts Mourinho the most is that he is no longer in the spotlight. Mourinho is leaving him behind."

The action caused Mourinho to receive a lot of criticism.

Mourinho has a huge collection of titles with 3 Premier League, 1 La Liga, 2 Champions League. However, the Portuguese coach is considered to lack the ability to adapt to the changes of modern football.

Ian Ladyman compared: "Carlo Ancelotti knows how to adapt, how to change the playing style, how to manage people, and how to live as a coach. Mourinho does not. He still clings to old tactics that were effective at Chelsea or Inter, but that era is over."

A seemingly harmless nose pinch is the clearest reflection of a once-great coach caught between his former glory and his current inadequacy. Mourinho has now become more a character of the noise on the sidelines than a tactical mark on the pitch.

From poking Tito Vilanova in the eye to grabbing Okan Buruk's nose, Mourinho has never been short of noise. But when victory is no longer accompanied, those aggressive acts only make people feel more sorry for a "Special One" who is becoming mediocre.

Perhaps what Mourinho needs now is not another harsh statement or controversial move, but rather a moment of silence to look back. Because not everyone who was once great can maintain that greatness as time passes.