Things will never be Red again!

“You always remember your first. But no one ever talks about their last. The last time you lace up your boots. The last time you walk out the tunnel. The last time you celebrate with your fans. I’ve always given everything. Every season. Every game. Every minute. I’ll do that one last time.”

It’s a day that everyone knew was coming. But no one quite knew how to prepare for it. Of course there was the traditional celebration planned - the guard of honour, enormous banners, colossal posters, strategic synchronization of placards, etc. But nothing could give justice when it came to commemorating the career of a staunch superstar.

Nothing could come even remotely close.

After 17 years, 708 games, 185 goals and 10 trophies, Steven Gerrard was set to make his 354th and final Anfield appearance. Tears would flow. Emotions would flare. And of course, a crucial link between Liverpool and its past would be severed. A link so priceless that even the Koh-I-Noor diamond seemed insignificant in front of it.

As the players lined up in the tunnel before the match, one couldn’t help but notice that there wasn’t a speck of emotion on Gerrard’s face. The intensity in his eyes looked the same as any other week. Those eyes locked tightly on the wall in front and the mind tearing apart the game plan for the match. Whether it was an inconsequential Premier League match or the second leg of the Champions League semifinal, the vigour in those eyes never diminished.

Only today was the last time ever.

Today was Gerrard’s day. It was a day when the whole world would acknowledge his immense contributions to the club where he grew up to be a legend. But that surely did not mean that a compromise was in store when it came to beating Crystal Palace. Work came first. The club came first.

As always!

Both teams, sans Gerrard, made their way out to the field. Good ol’ Stevie stayed behind. Not because he wanted to, but because he was told to. He takes this time to click some final photos with his daughters in front of the Liverpool badge. Perhaps the last time at Anfield the girls would see their Dad in the full red suit of armour.

So red that it was hard to tell whether the colour was from the dye or from his heart bleeding.

Day in and day out Gerrard has bled the kind of red that epitomizes Liverpool Football Club and all that it stands for. You cut his veins and you won’t find the conventional red. You’ll find Liverpool red. The kind of red that radiates the essence of love and endearment towards the fans, the club and the game itself!

The announcer finally says those two magical words that send the crowd in frenzy. “Steven Gerrard!” Gerrard walks down the steps amidst roars of applause and while walking out touches the “This is Anfield” sign - a momentous gesture that means the world to him. Something he does every time he walks out. Something that has been ingrained in him like a flashy black tattoo on white skin!

Only today was the last time ever.

For close to two decades Gerrard has been a wizard living among less-blessed mortals. True that his final season in the Premier League hasn’t been  one to remember him by, but the Kop knows that he needs to be “judged” for the blood he’s shed for 17 years rather than just a couple of unfortunate seasons.

There have been numerous instances when it was Gerrard’s sheer tenacity to not accept defeat that lifted the Reds from the abyss of annihilation to the pinnacles of prestige. Olympiakos, Istanbul, West Ham to name a few! But instances like the infamous slip that cost Liverpool the Premier League title and the red card after just 38 seconds against Manchester United nonetheless have really dented his image.

Meanwhile, Gerrard walks out to the Anfield turf amid a guard of honour. Only last week was he giving one to champions Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. It must feel awkward to him to change sides in just a week’s time. His youngest daughter, in his arms, covers her ears with both hands to shield herself from the deafening roar that engulfs the stadium. A roar so loud that it would even give the mighty Super Bowl the blushes!

The fans always have something or the other to cheer about when it comes to Steven Gerrard. They always appreciate the precision that he demonstrates with his passing. They always applaud the aggression that he exhibits when playing rivals. They go ballistic when he scores those incredible screamers. And they always have found a suitable reason to make their captain courageous feel special.

Only today was the last time ever.

Gerrard’s life can be looked upon as a constant struggle to overcome obstacles and being prepared for whatever strange bounces life threw his way. He might not have been an emperor at Anfield, but during his time there he truly proved that he was without shadow of a doubt worthy of being called one.

He belongs to a rare clan of footballers who have proved that, despite the impediments, they have what it takes to get the job done. He has proved that not only does he thrive at every challenge thrown his way but that those challenges made him better than if he had never faced any adversity at all.

As the game progressed, nearly after 30 minutes of play, Adam Lallana’s eyes scanned the whole stadium. He knew what he was looking for; it’s just that he couldn’t find it. The ex-Southampton winger had just scored Liverpool’s opening goal and was now looking for Gerrard to celebrate it with. Probably doing his bit to honour a legend from whom he draws inspiration. Gerrard couldn’t be more jubilant.

For years Anfield has seen the influx and exodus of footballers who have played with Gerrard and have celebrated goals together. They know that he is never shy to celebrate a goal. He’s never under the pressure to think about the consequences of an erratic celebration. The camera-kiss at Old Trafford created quite a stir, but who cares. He’s always the first to celebrate with his teammates at Anfield.

Only today was the last time ever.

Gerrard might not be the greatest ever Red to have graced the footballing fraternity. But there truly was no one more passionate than him. He could have abandoned us for another team just for the sake of laurels and glory. But just like a true gentleman who never deserts her lady, Stevie chose otherwise.

When it came to hunger towards playing the game, there was no one better than him. When it came to undying dedication towards the club, there was no one better than him. Steven Gerrard was the heart of the team. He was the glue that held everything together. Things made sense when he was on the field. A match was never over until it was over when he was on the field. No one counted us out when he was on the field and no one, no matter how big, dared to write us off when he was on the field.

Things at Anfield will never be the same because Gerrard will never walk that tunnel again. Things abroad will never be the same because Gerrard will never deliver us from doom again. Things in the dressing room will never be the same because Gerrard will never give a pep talk again. Things at Melwood will never be the same because Gerrard will never train there again.

And lastly, but most importantly, it’s sad to come to terms with the fact that things at Liverpool Football Club will never be ‘Red’ going further because Steven Gerrard will never bleed his heart out for us again!

Man for All Teams, Man for All Seasons!

It’s a rowdy evening at the Stamford Bridge stadium where the clock has just stuck the 90-minute mark. The wind blows gently as Eden Hazard looks at the giant screen at the corner and sees 2 minutes come on as stoppage time. The Blues have been “boringly” shielding their 1-0 lead ever since half-time and it’s now just a matter of time before the club celebrates its fourth Premier League title in 11 years.

It was only logical that Hazard, Premier League’s best player this season, scored the winning goal that would gift Chelsea what would be termed by pundits as the dawn of a new “old era” under their prodigal son Jose Mourinho. The confetti is about to engulf the pitch. The same pitch that strived endlessly to see a league title celebration before the “special one” turned the club’s fortunes in 2004.

The crowd is going wilder by the second. The pre-party jollifications seem to have started quite some time before the final whistle has actually blown. Jose, in a move termed as “spite” by foes, chooses this moment to take Hazard off to a resounding ovation. It’s only natural! Hazard deserves every bit of it.

“Another ploy from Jose to waste time,” I think. “This is going to rob the Eagles those precious seconds to equalize,” adds the Liverpool freak in me. Maybe! But then again, who was I kidding? If not today, Chelsea would have won the title next week - the weekend when they play the Reds at home. I don’t think I had it in me to see Chelsea win “something” at our “slipping” expense two times in a row.

The truth is, however, Chelsea have had a solid season and downrightly deserve all the glory. They’ve led from start to finish and never showed even remote signs of slowing down. They’ve had starlets in every department and a skipper whose stellar persona is something that every club and fan envies.

Back at the Bridge, eyes were fixated more on the referee than on the action on the field. In this case referee Kevin Friend’s whistle is getting all the attention. In a move that some think to be ridiculously unpardonable, Friend teases the fans by taking the whistle to his mouth and then back down. He gives a smile to reiterate that while they might be winning the title, he’s still the law. Truly Webb-esque my Friend!

Chelsea’s legendary striker Didier Drogba can’t help but laugh thinking about the journey that he’s had with the club. After he grabbed them by the throat on a zealous May evening at the Allianz Arena and hoisted them to their first ever Champions League title, the striker just like the club has had an erratic journey. However, despite the ups and downs Drogba is back where he belongs – among winnings ways!

Finally Friend takes the whistle to his mouth. Even though it was just the one whistle whose “tweet” had the power to end the match, the fans had other ideas. In an act of staggering unison some 40,000 whistles tweet at the same time thereby ending a four-year wait for the prominent Premier League title.

All I could see next was a barrage of confetti covering the air above and a horde of players running amok on the ground below. It had finally happened. With three games left, the Blues had sealed the title. It was a time to celebrate. It was time to freak out. It was time to shut the critics up. And most importantly, it was time for “boring ol’ Chelsea” to party like compelling champions.

Only, one man had other ideas!

Amidst the entire hullabaloo, a reporter somehow manages to get hold of Chelsea skipper John Terry for a candid one-on-one. After the procedural questions and the diplomatic responses, Terry says something that might be etched in the hearts of every football fanatic for a long time to come.

“I would like, on behalf of myself and everyone at Chelsea, to send our condolences to Rio Ferdinand and his family.”

Almost immediately, in one of those impulsive spine-chilling moments, Terry managed to add yet another fruitful dimension to his glittery persona that makes him one those few stars that teams would pay millions to have in their ranks. Not just because of the immense talent that he possesses, but because of the manner in which he perceives the beautiful game and gives it his all in playing it.

For a team like Chelsea whose dominating presence can be “villainous” at times, John Terry is one of those few indispensable valiant knights who will always rescue the club from being inundated by undesirable mirages. Because no matter how much one hates Chelsea or loathes their Russian moolah, one just can’t hate a player like Terry who will embody true competitive spirit till the end of time.

Having the highest scoring defender in Premier League history in their ranks is without doubt a matter of great pride for Chelsea; however, to have a rugged stalwart like him, whose irrefutable dedication towards his club and job is the stuff that legends are made of, is truly what they can bet their fortunes on.

From literally taking a boot to the head in an FA Cup tie to making a silly penguin dive at the international circuit, Terry’s commitment when it comes to keeping the ball out of his keeper’s reach is a remarkable example of unquestionable diligence. Time and again Terry’s perseverance has been tested to the core, but his unequivocal ability to “fly mask” the trauma and play the game is what matters the most to him.

His passion to give it his best has driven him to play every minute of every game for Chelsea this season and has reaped valuable results as well. Come to think about it, John Terry is an epitome of “doing-what-you-love-and-let-the-results-do-the-talking” quite simply because of his impetuous instinct.       

Captaining a team to four Premier League titles not only consolidates his position as one of most influential players of all time, but also puts his critics in their place. What Rafael Benitez and I have in common, other than being Liverpool fans, is that we both thought Terry was done and dusted in 2013. However, from that time, Terry has roared back into the thick of things in unimpeachable manner and his prime touch makes him one of the greatest English defenders of all time to have surged out.

With the whole Anton Ferdinand saga and the Wayne Bridge fiasco under his belt, John Terry clearly does not have the best of images in the eyes of people. But it’s at times like these that a player should be judged for his knack and on-field performances rather than events that make for good theatrics.

Whether it’s those notorious chants against their own or that applaud that honours their special ones, the crowd at Stamford Bridge always has something or the other to cheer about. But the chant that will matter the most for times immemorial is the one cherishing the heart of their team. It’s the chant that signifies the heroics of their stoic leader. The chant that taunts the world that the man for all teams and the man for all seasons is and forever will be a “Blue Baron”.

Easy Come, Easy Go – Memoir of a Liverpool fan!

It’s not a great time to be a Liverpool fan (To be precise, it never has been for a long time until last season). The English Premier League literally ‘slipped’ out of our grasps. England, which had a dense population of Liverpool blokes in its World Cup team, was knocked out in the group stages in Brazil. Alexis Sanchez became the latest ‘superstar’ to repudiate an offer that would have made him the envy of a certain London club. And to top it all off, our best player, scratch that, the Premier League’s best player left us to join some Catalan club in Spain.

What’s really interesting about that player’s move is the disconcerting fact that he’s moved to a club that should be banned from the transfer market at a time when he himself is banned from any football related activity for the next 4 months. Also, lest I forget, that certain individual whose ultimate aim in life is to play Champions League football could actually become a part of a club that might sometime soon be expelled from the Europe’s prestigious competition due to another proscribed transfer activity.

Woah! Too many expulsions and bans floating in the air. But I guess all that’s part and parcel of the game, especially when it comes to the player and team in question. To be honest, his departure is not quite excruciating as some thought that it might have been. It was bound to happen sometime or the other. Events at the starting of last season made it quite evident that he would definitely be ‘biting’ the dust elsewhere next season. And the fact that he played relentlessly upon his return just added more to that speculation.

 However, the hope was never lost. The faith in him was fortified considering the domination that was shown on the field and the dedication with which the Premier League Golden Boot award was won. But who knew that his stupendous act with the football last season was all just an audition, or to put it more delicately a ploy, to be part of something that according to him is a ‘dream come true’.

I’m not hurt (In other news, the sky is green). Let’s face it! We’ve seen plenty of departures in the past that have knocked the wind out of our sails. Michael Owen, Xabi Alonso, Fernando Torres, to name a few. But we’ve really come back strong (Have we?) However, what’s really hurting us is the prudent fact that we were not prepared for such a ‘catastrophe’ (Like we ever were!).

We stuck with him during his good times and we stood by his side during his bad times. The Patrice Evra racism ignominy, the Branislav Ivanovic biting fiasco and god knows what not that the idiot has managed to get himself involved with. I recently came across an inspiring article on ESPN that painted a picturesque portrait of him and gave an interesting explanation for his outrageous behaviour. The article said he does what he does whenever he does that because it is his desperate attempt to ‘protect his family’ and a despairing attempt to not return to the horrid childhood that he’s had.

The article is totally justified in its explanation about the maniac. On the other hand what I don’t agree with is the obligatory need for him to do what he does whenever he does it because he feels that if he does not do what he does then he will indeed become someone who has no need for. I mean are you freaking crazy dude?

You’re a classy player with some ritzy talent when it comes to football. You feel that underperforming in one match with take all that away from you? You feel that by just letting a hapless AS Monaco-reject run past you to score will jeopardize your career to such an extent that you need to racially abuse the shit out of him? You feel that trailing to a team that boasts of a Serbian joker, whose biggest accomplishment in life by the way is to share his name with a hot tennis superstar, would in some way demean your character? If yes, then you’re goddam crazy.

Coming back to the ‘not being ready’ part, it’s plain and simple – Liverpool were not ready to tackle this situation. All this time they were being misled that they’re going to get some action from a brainless strumpet only to be kicked in the nuts at the very end. And, not that I’m fixating on it, we’ve been kicked in the nuts quite a few times now. Yes! We did get the compensation that we deserved from his departure and my hopes really rest on Brendan Rodgers to utilize that sum properly, but we all remember what happened when a certain Spanish warrior left.

It’s really perplexing when one realizes the fetish that Liverpool has with English players. The Spanish player’s departure opened the doors for the arrival of Andy Carroll and Stewart Downing. So Liverpool, this is a sincere request from an ardent Red fan – Please don’t spend all the money that we have now on another dude with a stupid ponytail and an overrated Villa player.

I mean we did buy Rickie Lambert and Adam Lallana, but to be fair that was before ‘he’ chose to move to a country where his wife’s family is based. Now that is the greatest and the most supreme reason to move somewhere. Obviously you cannot admit openly that the club you’re moving to is ‘better’ than the one you’re leaving. Also, you cannot acknowledge that you’re being stifled there as well. Hence, bring in the family. Indeed! That will work. Like it always has! I mean will the kidding ever stop?

The world is laughing right now at Liverpool. To be fair, we kind of deserve it as well. We never let go of an opportunity to troll others so why should we not be dealt with in the same manner? “It’s only logical.” We trolled Arsenal for years before they broke their trophy drought. We trolled Manchester United last season like crazy when David Moyes was on a ‘record-shattering’ spree. And of course Chelsea’s special one has been trolled over the years as well until the famous ‘slip-up’ last season.

We’ve enjoyed our short-lived ups and relished our prolonged downs. We’ve cherished our majestic triumphs and valued our humbling defeats. We’ve laughed at other’s misfortunes and been laughed at by others at ours. We’ve been trumped beyond recognition by our detractors in the past and have risen like a sovereign phoenix to prove them wrong. It comes and it goes and this time it’s no different!

Steven Gerrard: Captain Courageous, Loyalty Personified

It was a cold and wintry November night in 1998 when a lad named Steven George Gerrard made his professional football debut for a team burdened with glorious purpose. At that time in the world, little anyone knew that they were witnessing history. Little anyone knew that he would go on to become an epitome of allegiance. And little anyone knew that “Gerrard” would become Liverpool’s heart and soul.

I believe I say this with the consent of everyone in the football fraternity, even those who are remotely related, that if there’s anyone on this planet today who rightfully should, nay deserves to, win the Premier League title, it’s Steven Gerrard. And the only thing that led me to this bona fide conclusion is Gerrard’s undying dedication and the manner in which he passionately wears his heart on his sleeve.

When Liverpool edged Manchester City 3-2 last night to take a gigantic step towards their first League title since 1990, no other emotion in the 45,522 capacity Anfield stadium expressed the jubilation and exuberance better than that of Steven Gerrard’s. The tears that rolled down his cheeks signified drops of passion and certainly proved how much Liverpool and that elusive EPL title mean to the skipper.

Winning a Premier League title is no doubt a colossal achievement. But the reason that it would be extra special for Liverpool to win the title this season is that it, in addition to ending the Merseyside club’s 24-year long wait for exaltation, would indeed be a fitting way of commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Hillsborough tragedy where Gerrard’s 10-year old cousin was among the 96 who lost their lives.

The manner in which Steven Gerrard and Liverpool have been playing this season portrays a clear killer instinct and a rock-solid intent to lift the trophy. While Brendan Rodgers has transformed the Reds into a club that is brimming with counter-attacking confidence, Gerrard himself has been in the form of his life. His presence in midfield is indispensable, his passing is immaculate and his aura is breathtaking.

And I speak for all Liverpool fans when I say that we always witness something really remarkable whenever we’re graced with the presence of Stevie G’s charismatic aura. The greatest example to prove that Gerrard’s indomitable spirit is unconquerable is the inspirational UEFA Champions League final against AC Milan in Istanbul when the Reds scored three goals in six minutes to turn around a 0-3 deficit.

Of course who can forget the stupendous goal that the Liverpool skipper hit earlier that season in the dying minutes of the Champions League Group Stage match against Olympiakos that propelled Liverpool into the knockout stages. Both instances corroborate just one plain and simple fact – when the world tells you that it can’t be done & all hope is lost, Steven Gerrard gives us a reason to dream and believe.

Ever since Gerrard became Liverpool captain in 2003, he has carried the club on his shoulders through the thick and thin of times. He has juggled the highs and lows that the Reds have faced with impeccable ease. And the fact that clubs like Real Madrid, Chelsea and Inter Milan failed to deter his cherished loyalty speaks only volumes about this legendary Anfield hero’s character, zeal and perseverance.

In his gleaming career, Steven Gerrard has lifted the FA Cup, the League Cup and the Champions League Trophy as Liverpool skipper. But the ultimate prize that every club professional dreams about is the League title and it is something that has eluded him. However with Liverpool and Stevie G being forces to reckon with this season, the crowning eminence of the EPL title is just a matter of 360 minutes away.

Is Moyes Fergie's 'chosen one' to shatter Old Trafford records?

With Swansea City's recent 2-1 FA Cup victory over the defending English Premier League champions Manchester United, Red Devils manager David Moyes has managed to shatter yet another record at the prestigious Old Trafford stadium.

To read more check out my article in The Times of India..

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/football/epl/top-stories/Is-Moyes-Fergies-chosen-one-to-shatter-Old-Trafford-records/articleshow/28516625.cms

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The English ‘Profitability’ League..

One thing I’ve learnt in my life that has made me a little wiser and more mature is that anything and everything on this planet is in some way or the other proportional to enduring profits. It is. It really is. If an idea or a concept is not lucrative, it’s considered to be ludicrous. And of course, the person suggesting that idea automatically becomes an epitome of “insanity”.

 

The reason I’m bringing all this out is because of recent happenings in the world of football. To be precise, Indian football. Well not actually Indian, but somewhere or the other we Indians always decide that things must have an effect on our society. So, Yes.. I’ll take it as Indian Football.

 

According to reports, the Indian football fans might be in for a treat pretty soon. Very soon the people in India would have the privilege to listen to English Premier League commentary on All India Radio (AIR) FM Rainbow. If things work out that is. Here is a quote from an article on The Times of India website…

 

“In an effort to get Indian football fans hooked to the EPL, a London-based Indian company — Indian Football Evolution (known as Kshatriya Sports in India) — entered into a sales agreement with talkSPORT, global audio partner of the EPL, for broadcast services in India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Maldives.”

 

What’s interesting in this is the fact that a “London based Indian” company wants to get Indian football fans “hooked” to the EPL. What’s even more interesting is the callous fact that this “London based Indian” company wants “Indian” football fans to get hooked to “British” football rather than “Indian Football.”

 

Like I said, anything and everything is proportional to profits. So, there you have it. The people at Kshatriya Sports cannot be blamed. In fact, they’re doing a wonderful job to help promote football in India (This includes nurturing Indian talent, setting up Football academies, helping State Football Associations, etc.) The problem, to begin with, lies in the manner in which football is treated in India.

 

Why did the English Premier League supersede the I-League in the first place? Why is it that the majority of the Indian football fans are only interested in foreign football? When did all this start in the first place? What made leagues like EPL, La Liga, Serie A more popular in India than its local leagues? The answer is pretty simple. And I’ve said it before as well. No. It’s not “talent”. India’s got Talent as well. Players like Baichung Bhutia, Sunil Chhetri, Renedy Singh, Gouramangi Singh and Steven Dias could have shaken the world in their prime. The answer, sadly, is profits.

 

The English Premier League began its broadcast in India in the year 2002. I-League (formerly known as The National Football League) began in 1996. What happened in those six years that drastically changed the course of football in India? Nothing actually. That was the problem. Nothing happened.

 

There was little or no coverage for the National Football League. It was not telecasted. Even if it was, then the coverage was pathetic. There were no commentators. There was no pre-match or post-match analysis. There was absolutely no professionalism. Indian footballers were playing their hearts out only to find out that no one was watching. Talent was going waste. Football was heading towards its demise.

 

On the other hand, due to excellent broadcasting, ESPN-Star took the competition by the throat and shoved it in the dustbin. The deal signed by ESPN to broadcast EPL in India will and should go down as ESPN’s greatest business decision ever. Foreign Football’s growing popularity in India is mostly due to ESPN-Star’s coverage combined with talented football players and most importantly “Money”.

 

Now when a TV channel is willing to bid as much as $145 million just to broadcast football in India, one can certainly be assured that they know what the scenario of Indian football is. More importantly, what’s even sadder is that ESPN-Star knows more than some of the Indian TV Channels about what Indian football fans want to see. It was just the right blend of football mixed with impeccable coverage and professional standards. That’s all it took for Indian football to die.

 

When the I-league was formed in 2007, Zee Sports did try to do the same. They brought in football experts. Talent was roped in from England. People tried their level best to resurrect Indian football. But till then it was too late. EPL had already made its permanent residence in the hearts of Indians. Teams like Man United, Liverpool, Arsenal meant more to us than East Bengal and Mohun Bagan. Today every fan knows how many teams play in EPL, but only a handful of them know the same about the I-league.

 

And this brings us back to the whole EPL being broadcasted on FM thing. Why would someone like Kshatriya Sports not want to get involved in this? Their job has already been done. The sport has already been made popular in the country. There’s nothing that can revive the competition now. Indian footballers are being treated like dirt. Popularity of foreign footballers is on high. It’s guaranteed money. I think that they have all the reasons to go ahead with the deal and bring EPL on AIR FM.

 

The EPL-AIR FM deal will surely be the final nail in Indian Football’s coffin. I don’t think that even the IPL-style football league would be able to help (I hope that I’m wrong). And with the All India Football Federation disbanding its developmental outfit Pailan Arrows due to lack of financial commitment from its sponsors, it was just a good opportunity capitalized by Kshatriya Sports.

 

I’m no one to complain that it’s EPL that is being broadcasted on FM instead of Indian football. I’m no one to suggest that what Kshatriya Sports is doing is bad for Indian Football’s future. Because when there’s an assured reason for profits and an idea in hand that would be well received due to the already “immensely-cemented” popularity of EPL in India, it was just a bomb ticking to explode.  

The Prodigal Son Returns..

“It’s Chelsea’s title to lose now.” This is what Jose Mourinho said when the Blues were being managed by Guss Hiddink who had taken over the affairs from Luiz Felipe Scolari who had taken over from Avram Grant who had taken over from Mourinho himself. Of course Chelsea didn’t win the title that season, but they did go on to clinch the FA Cup. But was that what they really wanted? The answer is No.

Ever since the London club was taken over in a ruthless transaction by Russian tycoon Roman Abramovich, they’ve had just one goal – to win trophies. And quite frankly Roman does not care which one. All he wants is the trophies because those are directly proportional to the moolah influx. And Mourinho was Roman’s “chosen one”. Or as Jose likes to put it, he was the “Special One”. He was specifically bought to win the Blues those elusive trophies. And that he did.

In Mourinho’s first two seasons in-charge he won four trophies, out of which the domestic league title was Chelsea’s first in 50 years. Jose led Chelsea to 64 consecutive home league matches without defeat in his four seasons at the helm; signed notable players like Didier Drogba, Andriy Shevchenko and Michael Ballack and did everything possible to make the Russian billionaire very “happy” and “rich”.

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However, in a move that was seen by millions as completely irrational and illogical, Chelsea and Mourinho parted ways by “mutual consent” to make way for better things. Now only people in the Abramovich clan know what conspired between Roman and Jose by the end of the Mourinho’s fourth term at Stamford Bridge when he left the club. But just like an infant without his mum, both Chelsea and Mourinho could not exist without each other.

 Chelsea tried a handful of managers and Jose tried a handful of clubs, but it was quite evident that both needed each other to co-exist.  Even though Mourinho won the Champions League with FC Porto before moving to London, the kind of buzz and aura that surrounded Stamford Bridge when the Special One was around was matched by none other.

 The bottom line was that Mourinho was not happy being away. The biggest example of that was seen by the world when Real Madrid was knocked out of the Champions League last season and Jose went on national television to say that he wants to be someplace where he will be happy and respected.  Almost immediately, just like putting the final piece of the puzzle in place, the stage was set for the Special One to make his second “homecoming” at the Bridge.

The worst kept secret in Footballing history was out on June 3rd, 2013 when Jose Mourinho was confirmed as Chelsea coach for the second time. And things immediately started to fall in place for Chelsea. Frank Lampard and John Terry reacted as if Dad was coming home. And why shouldn’t have they been happy? Their careers were literally created by the Special One. And now it was time to finish some unfinished business.

In ten seasons of club management, including an eight-month sabbatical in 2007–08, Mourinho has led his club to win its domestic league seven times, the UEFA Champions League twice and the UEFA Cup once. Since 2002, Mourinho has not gone a full calendar year without winning at least one trophy.

And now with Sir Alex Ferguson retired, Arsene Wenger vowing to never win a trophy ever again, Manchester City without a seasoned manager and Liverpool just being Liverpool, the English Premier League is practically begging Chelsea to grab it by the throat and take it away after spending an eternity at Manchester. This can indeed be Chelsea’s season as it has started by giving out vibes that promise to deliver a season like no other. It promises some thrilling action and with the deadly yet deliberant combination of Jose Mourinho and Chelsea, the Blues will surely be aiming to give their prodigal son the perfect homecoming present. Another Premier League Medal.