There’s a-doings a-transpiring in the world of football. Jose Mourinho is bound for Inter. Which means that Dider Drogba is about to transform into a fictional character briefly capable of existing in several places at once. Which means that Zlatan Ibrahimović is going to topple like an imaginary domino, landing on an imaginary city in Spain. Which means that Frank Lampard is going to have his name mentioned in ways that don’t make sense. If the sequence of events unleashed by the Mourinho signing were to unfold in exactly the way that it’s been dreamed up by the press, Luis Figo would cease to age, and Inter would have launched the greatest realignment of European football since Abramovich bought Chelsea in the first place.
Somewhere, a Tottenham fan is busy convincing himself that this makes it more likely that Spurs will sign Samuel Eto’o.
I don’t really have a lot to say about all this. Right now I’m just hanging out in the alley, casually kicking it up against the wall. It’s not exactly the peach of all surprises, but it beats thinking about Gazza being sectioned again after carjacking his ex-wife’s neighbor, or the fact that the long list of players (Rosicky, Babel, et. al.) who will miss Euro 2008 due to injury now includes Fabio Cannavaro, and possibly Patrick Vieira as well. It’s been a bleary few days for some reason. I’ll probably just stay out here until football gets in a better mood.
A Brighter Note: I’ve been meaning for several days to highlight New African Soccer Magazine, which is in the middle of a relaunch and has some good deals on subscriptions at the moment, including free issues and a drawing for prizes. You might have seen their recent article on Pitch Invasion about the history of African players in England. In any case, the magazine is a good read and well worth checking out.
Read More: Chelsea, Inter, José Mourinho
by Brian Phillips · June 2, 2008
Ibra just signed a new contract that will pay him 12 million euro a year.
Net.
The first seal?
Thank God. I spent two minutes of my life this morning reading an article about how he’d stolen a moment during training with Sweden to ask Larsson what life at Barca was like, and I didn’t think I was going to make it through this in one piece.
12 million is…a lot, but to me the real sign of the apocalypse is that it all got resolved so quickly.
I read goal.com on the subject of Mourinho Hating Ibra and was freaked out until Martha linked me to the news of him getting paid out of his mind to stay at Inter. I laughed with relief.
…only because I want to see him and Mourinho have snarky rom-com quarrels next year, I promise.
Maybe they’ll go on a road trip, and get on each other’s nerves the whole way (one hand slapping another as it reaches for the the car radio), only late one night at a Salzburg karaoke bar they never meant to visit, things will become uncomfortably clear (Ibra looking surprised and moved as the audience applauds his initially hesitant, but progressively more soulful and confident “Try a Little Tenderness”).
No post today, by the way (Circumstances). Euro 2008 coverage begins tomorrow.
Roswitha, you really shouldn’t be reading goal.com
It will rot your brain, that stuff.
Tour de Force from Sig. Mourinho at his presentation press conference this morning.
My favourite quote?
“I’m not special, but I’m not a prick, either”.
This is going to be fun.
“Jose Mourinho almost exuded humility this morning upon his unveiling at Inter Milan” is how the Telegraph chose to characterize that moment.
Not sure if that says more about Mourinho or about the Telegraph.
lol
Wrong on both counts, Jose.
I too would like to cover Euro 2008 in some detail. I don’t know if I will stay awake for all of it, though. Looking forward to your posts, Brian.