Few managers are as successful as Jose Mourinho is, and back on this day in 2010, the Portuguese tactician who currently works as a football pundit on television, put himself among an exclusive group of managers in the world ahead of great rival, Pep Guardiola, after winning his second Champions League title to become one of only five managers to win it with two different clubs.
Coming on the heels of his first season being deemed a disappointment despite helping the Nerazzurri to retain the league title, Mourinho set about responding to his critics by signing a number of players including strikers Diego Milito and Samuel Eto’o, as well as Dutch midfielder, Wesley Sneijder, from Real Madrid ahead of the 2009/10 season.
Those players proved instrumental in helping Inter reach the Champions League final that season, with the Serie A side overcoming a Guardiola-led Barcelona in the semi-final to come up against Bayern Munich looking to win the treble having won the league title again and beaten AS Roma to lift the Coppa Italia.
Playing in what was the first ever Champions League final to be held on a Saturday, Milito scored both goals with Sneijder and Eto’o providing the assists for the Argentine striker’s efforts in the 35th and 70th minute as Inter claimed a first European title in 35 years.
For Mourinho, the win made him one of only four managers at the time to win the title with two clubs – joining Carlo Ancelotti who won with Real Madrid and AC Milan, Ernst Happel with Feyenoord in 1970 and Hamburg in 1983, as well as Ottmar Hitzfeld with Borussia Dortmund in 1997 and Bayern Munich in 2001.
Legendary German tactician, Jupp Heynckes, would join that elite group of managers by leading Bayern Munich to the title in 2013 after winning it with Real Madrid back in 1998. As for Mourinho, he left Inter Milan days after the Champions League win and signed to become Real Madrid manager.
Also on this day in football
Two Super Eagles stars have cause to celebrate on this day in football, with Samuel Chukwueze and Joel Obi turning a year older today – Chukwueze was born on this day in 1999 while Obi was born on this day in 1991.
Chukwueze turns 20 at the end of what has been a breakout season for him, scoring five goals and providing two assists in 26 league appearances for La Liga side, Villarreal, as they retained their top flight status while recording memorable results against some of the top teams.
Nigeria’s rising star was in form when the Yellow Submarines were held to a dramatic 4-4 draw by Barcelona in early April, a game which saw Chukwueze score his club’s first goal when they were 2-0 down and provide the assist for the equaliser before being taken off in the 85th minute with Villarreal – down to 10 men by then – leading 4-2 at the time.
Chukwueze was also in great form for the Yellow Submarines as he played all 90 minutes at home to Real Madrid and provided an assist for former Arsenal star, Santi Cazorla, who scored both goals for the club to earn a 2-2 draw against Los Blancos.
His impressive displays for this season has led Super Eagles fans to call on national team boss, Gernot Rohr, to include the attacking midfielder in Nigeria’s final squad to the Africa Cup of Nations holding in Egypt from June – he has been named in the provisional 25-man squad.
.@NGSuperEagles 25 Man #TotalAFCON2019 Provisional list #SoarSuperEagles #Team9jaStrong pic.twitter.com/j67W8oc9pP
— The NFF ?? (@thenff) May 14, 2019
Fellow birthday boy, Obi, was however left out of the AFCON 2019 Super Eagles provisional squad, with the last of 17 caps won for Nigeria coming when he played 45 minutes in the 2-1 friendly defeat to England played in June 2018, just before the last FIFA World Cup in Russia.
All of Manchester United remember club legend, George Best
May 22 also marks a time for all at Manchester United to remember club legend, George Best, who would have turned 73 years old on this day in football.
Today, we remember the late, great George Best on what would have been his 73rd birthday. pic.twitter.com/3Ll0ay1eJS
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) May 22, 2019
Best rose through the ranks at Old Trafford before breaking into the Red Devils’ first team in 1963, where he remained until 1974.
Happy Birthday to the legend George Best, who would've turned 73 today. ?
One of the greatest the game has ever seen. pic.twitter.com/gP35nbNhH1
— Red Devil Bible (@RedDevilBible) May 22, 2019
In those 11 years, the Northern Irishman two First Division titles in 1965 and 1967, as well as the club’s first European Cup title in 1968 – same year he was awarded the Ballon d’Or.
However, the former attacking midfielder struggled with drinking problems later in life and died on November 25, 2005 as a result of a lung infection and multiple organ failure.
Send your regards to the United legend, and Super Eagles’ stars, in the comments section.