Smiling knowingly as he walked into the conference room at Cobham, the day before he takes on former protege - and, by all accounts, former friend - Andre Villas-Boas for the first time at White Hart Lane, Jose Mourinho knew exactly what to expect.
In truth, he always does. This, as much as any football stadium his teams have competed in, is his arena. Over the years he has become the master, el puto amo, of saying as much as he wants to the media, even when he insists that he doesn't really want to say anything at all.
It is a fact, not a secret, that Villas-Boas and Mourinho have had no time for each other since the one-time opposition scout decided to spread his own managerial wings at club level with Academica de Coimbra. The reasons for the depth of ill-feeling, however, largely remained hidden from public view until the Tottenham manager addressed it in an interview with L'Equipe on Thursday.
In truth, he always does. This, as much as any football stadium his teams have competed in, is his arena. Over the years he has become the master, el puto amo, of saying as much as he wants to the media, even when he insists that he doesn't really want to say anything at all.
It is a fact, not a secret, that Villas-Boas and Mourinho have had no time for each other since the one-time opposition scout decided to spread his own managerial wings at club level with Academica de Coimbra. The reasons for the depth of ill-feeling, however, largely remained hidden from public view until the Tottenham manager addressed it in an interview with L'Equipe on Thursday.
