LONDON: Jose Mourinho sealed a return to coaching after almost a year out when Tottenham Hotspur hired one of the world’s most successful managers in a bid to end the club’s decade-long wait for a trophy.

Tottenham moved swiftly to replace Mauricio Pochettino, who was fired on Tuesday after a five-year spell in which he transformed the team’s fortunes even reaching a Champions League final but was unable to win a title.

That is something Mourinho, who has won 25 major trophies as a manager, specialises in. But there remain question marks over whether the Portuguese coach is still the force he once was after a turbulent two-year spell at Manchester United that ended in December. He hasn’t coached since.

“In Jose we have one of the most successful managers in football,” Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy said of his potentially divisive appointment. “He has a wealth of experience, can inspire teams and is a great tactician.”

Levy, who acknowledged Tuesday that he fired Pochettino extremely reluctantly, said he believed Mourinho will bring energy and belief to the dressing room.

Pochettino took the club to their first Champions League final last season, where they lost to Liverpool, but was sacked after a poor run of form in 2019, during which the team have won six of their last 24 league games.

Spurs, who currently sit 14th in the league, are the third Premier League club that Mourinho will manage having won the league title three times with Chelsea in two separate stints.

“I am excited to be joining a club with such a great heritage and such passionate supporters,” Mourinho said. “The quality in both the squad and the academy excites me. Working with these players is what has attracted me.”

Mourinho has won trophies at every major club he has managed — including two Champions League titles with Porto and Inter Milan — while Spurs have not won silverware since the 2008 League Cup.

The 56-year-old also won three Premier League titles over two spells in charge of Chelsea, and returned to England to manage United in 2016.

The Portuguese won the Europa League in his first season at United and finished second in the Premier League the following season — marking their highest finish since Alex Ferguson retired.

He was sacked last December following a 3-1 league defeat by Liverpool that effectively ended their title hopes.

Published in Dawn, November 21st, 2019