It’s been two years and 10 months since Jose Mourinho last won a non-Super Cup trophy and though this period would simply be known as “June 2012-February 2015” for most managers, it’s been a personal worst for Mourinho. But the Capital One Cup final against Spurs offered him the chance to end the talk of him losing his silver touch. And he made the most of it in every way possible.
Before the fun began, Mourinho used the suspended Nemanja Matic to play on his teammates emotions.
Jose said Nemanja Matic made the speech in the dressing room before the game, and used his pain to motivate his team-mates. #WembleyIsBlue
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) March 1, 2015
Then, with the fire lit and an unusual line-up set with Kurt Zouma in midfield, it was time for Mourinho to enjoy the day. First he had a little fun with a television camera…
When John Terry opened the scoring just before halftime, his confidence grew. But he knew it was sealed when Kyle Walker deflected a Diego Costa shot to give Chelsea a 2-0 lead, which proved to be more than enough.
After the final whistle, it was time for Mourinho to lift a trophy for the first time since he returned to Chelsea. He was patient enough to wait his turn, though — urging youngsters Izzy Brown and Andreas Christensen to give it a hoist before he did.
Mourinho with a touch of class, making sure that Christensen and Brown lifted the Cup first. #CFC #CFCYouth #KTBFFH pic.twitter.com/OuVhynk9JG
— amadí (@amadoit) March 1, 2015
Judging by his expression upon finally getting that trophy above his head, it was worth the wait.
Mourinho: “It’s important for me to feel a kid at 52 years old” — Rob Harris (@RobHarris) March 1, 2015
“Mourinho: “It’s important for me to feel a kid at 52 years old””
Roman Polanski: “Hmm…go on…”