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BBC Sport - Football - Jose Mourinho's unbeaten home league run reaches nine years Very good article that, not by a journo so much, but David Pleat gives his evaluation of why Mourinho has been so successful in his various roles. I've got a lot of time for Pleat, he talks sense, is intelligent, and hasn't got an ego to go with it. He's looks like a farmer. Mourinho. Ahhh. Say what you want about him, his 9 year record is phenomenal, nothing else to describe it. Since 2002 he has not gone a calender year without winning a trophy. Love him or hate him, he's a character and a successful one at that. Many reds don't like the 'shush' gesture, neither did I, but football is theatrics these days, I don't hold it against him, he gets carried away and does these things, it's not personal. In fact, I believe he said some quite flattering things about us once upon a time. I think 90% of football is about getting the mental edge, all Mourinho prepares his players better than anybody else, he creates a family unit. But some of you just love to rip into him, so here's some nice stories... - On 27 January 2003, after a Porto-Boavista derby in Estádio das Antas, Mourinho refused to shake hands with Boavista coach Jaime Pacheco, quoting "I don't shake hands with someone I don't know". The two coaches were exchanging words all week before the match. Pacheco returned the favor in February 2007, before the Champions League match between Porto and Chelsea, calling Mourinho sick and mentally retarded. - On 31 January 2004, after a Sporting Clube de Portugal vs. FC Porto 1–1 match in Lisbon, Porto keeper Vítor Baía and Sporting midfielder Rui Jorge exchanged shirts. Mourinho took Rui Jorge's shirt from Baia and ripped it. - In March, before a Barcelona vs. Celtic match for the UEFA Cup, Mourinho criticized Celtic's coach Martin O'Neill and his team for playing non-attractive football, and recalled the 2003 UEFA Cup final between Porto and Celtic, when, as he said "we kept the ball and they just ran all over the pitch trying to get to us with their horrible and aggressive style". - Following a Champions League tie between Chelsea and Barcelona in March 2005, Mourinho accused Anders Frisk and Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard of breaking FIFA rules by having a meeting at half–time. Mourinho insisted that this biased the referee and caused him to send off Chelsea striker Didier Drogba in the second half - After a league match with Everton on 17 December 2006, Mourinho branded Andrew Johnson "untrustworthy" following a challenge with Chelsea keeper Henrique Hilário. Everton issued a statement threatening legal action and calling on Mourinho to apologize,[88] which he later did.[ - Mourinho has already stirred up controversy in the Spanish press since his arrival in Madrid. On September 27, 2010, Mourinho blasted out at the press after he was pushed too far regarding the exclusion of Pedro Leon from the squad to play against Auxerre.[94] He said, "Don't you want to ask me who will play tomorrow? I have already told you that Benzema will start. If I were a reporter, I would ask who the other 10 players are. Will Higuain play with Benzema or be on the bench? But no – you only insist on Pedro Leon, it seems as if he is Maradona or Zidane...", before he walked out of the press conference abruptly. - Just 3 days before this outburst, Mourinho came out in the press, attacking Sporting de Gijon for putting out a weaker team against Barcelona.[95] He said in a press conference, "If teams gift their games to Barcelona, it will be harder to win the league. They think that they will not win and therefore play with their reserve squad – this would complicate the league for us." Pep Guardiola, manager of Barcelona refused to be drawn on the matter. - In a Champions League match at Ajax, late in the match when Real Madrid were leading 0–4, two Real Madrid players received late second yellow cards related to time wasting. The result of this meant they were suspended for the final group match even though Madrid would come first in the group, but would benefit by entering the round of 16 without any accumulated yellow cards. It was suggested that this was a deliberate ploy under Mourinho's instruction via two players in a substitution. As a result, UEFA charged Mourinho along with the four related players with improper conduct