Paper Talk: Special One edition

Paper Talk ... the best yarns and videos doing the rounds. Source: Javier Soriano / AFP

Right, there's so much to talk about this week so let's get straight into it.

Jose Mourinho. The Special One. Wants to be loved. Chelsea. Will you love me, again? 

It’s the yarn that managed to overshadow Borussia Dortmund’s magnificent win, in a way only Mourinho can. 

The loss wasn't about Madrid missing their 10th UCL crown. It was Mourinho missing his third, as the manager bemoaned the pervading hatred for him in the Spanish capital. 

While Iker Casillas's passion for the club shone through, Mourinho’s focus was elsewhere.

"For those that criticise him, and their numbers and intensity grows, this was another reflection of his ego," the Guardian’s Sid Lowe wrote of the press-conference.  

Gutted ... Iker Casillas. Source: AFP

Was he being cocky, or was he being desperate?

The Sun's Rob Beasley writes: "in the past (confrontation and conflict) it has always involved opponents and the media. At Madrid it has been a civil war within the club. The tight, unwavering team spirit he forged at Porto, Chelsea and Inter Milan has never been repeated at Madrid."

Either way, it seems Jose just wants to go 'home', to Chelsea, the club he unceremoniously split with in 2007, costing Roman Abramovich £18m. 

It's a big about-face from the owner. What do the players actually think?

"Everyone who loves Chelsea hopes Mourinho will return," Branislav Ivanovic told Vecernje Novosti.

"As players we don't have any confirmed information that he would return. But we would all like it to happen because he is one of the best coaches in the world.

"He is immensely respected by all for what he has done for the club.

"With him we can be stronger as a club. It would add another dimension to Chelsea, and it would be sure to help us become one of the main contenders for the title."

The Daily Mail reports that it will cost the London club as much as £12million to secure him from the Bernabeu, where he is contracted until 2016, and may have to pay his wages for a season.

But according to the Daily Mirror, money is no object. 

"Jose Mourinho crashed out of the Champions League last night, but will be given an incredible £100m transfer kitty to rebuild Chelsea if he makes the move back to the Blues this summer."

"Luckily, though, he's going to get some toys from Roman Abramovich, who's planning to give Mourinho a £100m WARCHEST," The Guardian adds. "With it, he will sign Everton's Marouane Fellaini, Porto's João Moutinho, Real Madrid's Angel di María, Bayer Leverkusen's André Schürrle, Atlético Madrid's Radamel Falcao and Partizan Belgrade's Lazar Markovic. Plus he might give Frank Lampard a new contract …"

You can’t escape Jose-mania. It’s everywhere. 

 "Jose is a drug, a heady, divisive compound of thrills and danger," the Daily Mail's Rick Sharma writes. "Are we ready for that again? Is English football prepared for what will follow?"

Meanwhile, Rafa Benitez – remember him, Chelsea’s manager – is trying to steer Chelsea into the Europa League final on Friday ... 

MERRY-GO-ROUND

With Pep Guardiola going to Bayern Munich, could Jupp Heynckes be Bernabeu bound? The popular nominee so far is Carlo Ancelotti, and Paris Saint Germain had reportedly been testing Arsene Wenger’s resolve to try lure him to Paris as a replacement. 

Meanwhile, the Guardian reports that Txiki Begiristain, Manchester City's director of football, has met the agent of Malaga coach Manuel Pellegrini, about the prospects of the job at Etihad Stadium.

LESSONS LEARNED

A bit late? 

Is Fergie interested in any more Arsenal players after RVP's success? 

"I don’t know but he will not sign them from us," Arsene Wenger declared. 

Good decision. Now enjoy the video at the top of the page.

IN OTHER NEWS …

Mourinho's former star midfielder Deco, 35, has failed a drug test playing for Brazilian champions Fluminense, testing positive for banned diuretic furosemide. His lawyers blame "contaminated vitamins".

RODGERS WANTS ‘DEPTH AND QUALITY’ 

Seventh isn’t good enough for Liverpool and Brendan Rodgers will hope for another successful transfer plunge after luring Philippe Coutinho and Daniel Sturridge in January. 

Swansea City’s Ashley Williams, as a replacement for the retiring Jamie Carragher, Reading defender Alex Pearce, and Ajax forward Christian Eriksen have been linked with Anfield. 

WHAT? 

Huseyin Akoglu, in Turkey's second division, becomes the new Scorpion king. Invoking memories of Colombian goalkeeper Rene Higuita, he fired a stunner against Polatli Bugsasspor.

But the video below, not so good. 

We'll end with a good'n from the AFC Cup

LE PROBLEM? WHAT LE PROBLEM? 

No French mutiny in Newcastle, re-assure Papiss Cisse and Cheick Tiote.

"Every player is together. We are totally focussed on Saturday's game at West Ham and the two games after that. We have a strong bond and we want the best for our club, our manager and our wonderful fans," said Cisse.

"We are not happy about recent results. Nobody is happy when they lose, but this has only made us stronger as a group and we will come through this together. There is no divide in the team."

Tiote added: "We want to let the fans know that all of the players are committed and we are in this together.

"We will fight to get out of this problem and we know our fans will help us to do that. They are incredible."

The provocative article about dressing room unrest has prompted Newcastle to ban The Daily Telegraph until they apologise.  

CAN'T HANDLE IT

Borussia Dortmund hung on for dear life in the Champions League, but chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke couldn't hang on for the ride. 

Insert pun about ****ing yourself, here. 

"It seems like we only can do it with drama.

"For the first time in my life I had to give up due to heart problems.

"I went to the toilet for the last minutes, locked myself in, covered my ears and looked at my watch.

"I had all kinds of thoughts going through my head."

This Bayern fan, below, had no such problems. He managed to jag a celebration with his heroes before security intervened! 

TIRED TEVEZ 

Manchester City or Boca Juniors?

"If it was down to me then I would return tomorrow because I will love Boca until I die," he told Argentinian TV station Canal 9.

"Maybe I will return to Boca when I am 33. It’s very difficult for any Argentinian club to pay Manchester City my market value.

"If Milan have offered €20million (£17m) to Manchester City when I was in a worse moment of form then what would they pay now?"

MONEY, MONEY, MONEY

The Daily Mail reports that Manchester City owner Sheik Mansour of Abu Dhabi is on the cusp of a $100million deal to start a new Major League Soccer team in New York.

They hope to have the deal complete for City's clash with Chelsea in New York at the end of May. 

AND WE THOUGHT NRL/AFL PLAYERS HAD TIME ON THEIR HANDS ...

Didn't expect this from classy Italian midfielder Andrea Pirlo. 

"After the wheel, the best invention is the PlayStation. 

"Me and Nesta was a classico of our time at Milanello. We’d get in early, have breakfast at 9 then close ourselves off in our room to challenge each other, train, have lunch and then it was back in our room again until 4 in the afternoon.

"Our battles were pure adrenaline. I chose Barcelona, Sandrino did too. Barca against Barca.

"The first player I’d take was Samuel Eto’o, the fastest out of everyone, though I often lost. I’d throw the joystick, demand a rematch and lose again, but I couldn’t use the excuse that the coach of his team was better than mine; Pep Guardiola for him, Pep Guardiola for me."

Pirlo also revealed this week how close he came to joining Chelsea, Barcelona and Real Madrid at various stages in his career – until Silvio Berlusconi intervened!

View the original article here