Hit or miss? Every manager to replace Jose Mourinho permanently

Jose Mourinho is manager of Manchester United no more.

After taking control of the club in 2016, Mourinho oversaw two-and-a-half years at Old Trafford with some success, winning the Europa League and League Cup in his first campaign.

But, like at Chelsea and Real Madrid previously, things started to unravel for Mourinho as he turned into his third season.

Fallings out with the board and players, combined with poor results on the pitch have culminated in Mourinho’s sacking – just two days after losing 3-1 to rivals Liverpool.

United have confirmed the club will be appointing a caretaker manager until the end of the season while searching for a permanent replacement.

Some clubs were reluctant to see Mourinho go and some were desperate to keep hold of him. What can be said is that he has had a hugely successful career and has been seen as the best football manager in the game for a number of years.

But just how well have Mourinho’s replacements fared when he has eventually moved on?

Victor Fernandez (Porto)

With Mourinho having left Porto to take over as Chelsea manager in the summer of 2004, the Portuguese side initially named Luigi Delneri as their new coach – though the Italian was sacked almost as quickly as he was signed for reportedly showing too little presence in pre-season.

Spaniard Victor Fernandez took the permanent role before the start of the season but lasted just six months as Porto failed to replicate the form of Mourinho’s final season.

While a Champions League victory was always going to be tough to follow up for a team of Porto’s stature, especially considering Mourinho took a lot of that team with him to Chelsea, the defending Portuguese League champions blew hot and cold on the domestic stage.

However, Fernandez did lead Porto to glory in the 2004 Intercontinental Cup, the predecessor for the Club World Cup, and also won the ‘Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira’ – the Portuguese equivalent of the Community Shield.

The Spaniard was sacked in January 2005 with Porto second in the league following a 3-1 home defeat to Braga, with his final record reading: Played 29, won 12, drawn 10, lost 7.

Verdict: Miss

Avram Grant (Chelsea)

Following three successful years with Chelsea, Mourinho was sacked in September 2007 after a poor start to the fourth season and replaced by Avram Grant, on an interim basis at first before signing a four-year deal after three months.

Though the move was initially met with a negative response from Chelsea fans, who were both devastated at Mourinho’s firing but also bemused by what was quite an obscure replacement, come the end of the season, they were begging for Grant to stay.

After losing to Manchester United in his first game, the Israeli rebuilt a team that looked lost into credible contenders once again as they went close in three of the four competitions.

Chelsea’s first chance of silverware under Grant came and went as the Blues lost the League Cup final to London rivals Tottenham Hotspur after extra-time.

The Blues then bowed out of the FA Cup at the quarter-final stage as they were shocked by Barnsley, with Grant resting a number of players.

In the Premier League Chelsea grew stronger, building up a run which saw them go unbeaten from December until the end of the season, including a dramatic win against Manchester United, though the North West club would eventually win the title on the final day.

Grant was sacked following defeat in the Champions League final as John Terry missed the opportunity to make Chelsea European champions, slipping in the penalty shootout with the chance to win it.

Verdict: Hit

Rafael Benitez (Inter Milan)

Mourinho spent two years at Inter Milan from 2008 to 2010, winning the Champions League and two Scudettos before leaving for Real Madrid.

The Portuguese was replaced by his old nemesis Rafael Benitez, who left Liverpool in the summer of 2010 to sign a two-year deal.

Benitez won his first trophy with Inter in August 20101 as they beat Roma in the Italian Super Cup though that was as good as it got for the Spaniard.

Drawing his first Serie A game against Bologna, Benitez had to wait until 11 September, 2010 for his first win, beating Udinese at the San Siro.

However, by December Inter had slumped to sixth in Serie A and were 13 points off top, having suffered consecutive defeats against Milan – which ended a 46-match unbeaten home record, Chievo and Lazio as well as losing to Tottenham Hotspur in the Champions League group stage.

Benitez did guide the Italian side to the Club World Cup, prompting the Spaniard to ask for the club’s backing in the transfer market.

He was sacked on 23 December, with a final record of: Played 25, won 12, drawn 6, lost 7.

Verdict: Miss

Carlo Ancelotti (Real Madrid)

When Mourinho left Real to rejoin Chelsea, the Los Blancos hierarchy turned to former Blues manager Carlo Ancelotti to take the reins.

The Italian oversaw the departures of big names in Mesut Ozil and Gonzalo Higuain in his first season but did also bring in Isco and Gareth Bale, both of whom have proved big signings for the club.

Ancelotti’s arrival also brought in a change in system as Madrid used the 4-3-3 which has been so effective over the past few years and won their first major trophy under the Italian, beating rivals Barcelona 3-1 in the Copa del Rey final.

But arguably Ancelotti’s biggest achievement at the club came in the 2013/14 Champions League campaign, as they beat Bayern Munich 5-0 on aggregate to reach the finals, where they won 4-1 after extra-time against Atletico Madrid for the historic and eagerly awaited ‘La Decima’ – a 10th European Cup.

However, the Italian failed to win La Liga in either of his two seasons at the club and was subsequently sacked in May 2015 in what was described as a “very difficult decision” by club president Florentino Perez.

Verdict: Hit

Antonio Conte (Chelsea)

Despite leading Chelsea to the Premier League in 2014/15, Mourinho oversaw one of the worst title defences of all time as the Blues were 16th at the time of his sacking in December 2015.

Following an interim spell for Guus Hiddink, Chelsea brought in manager Antonio Conte during the summer of 2016 after the Italian guided his country to the quarter-finals of Euro 2016 – only losing to Germany on penalties.

After a mixed start to life at Chelsea, back-to-back defeats to Liverpool and Arsenal brought on an almost historic change as Conte switched to a back three, using Marcos Alonso and Victor Moses as wing-backs.

The Blues then went on to win 13 games in a row – then a Premier League record – thanks, in part, to having no European commitments and going out of the League Cup in the fourth-round.

Chelsea eventually won the Premier League, winning a record-breaking 30 games in a single season, and lost the FA Cup final to Arsenal.

Last season’s Premier League campaign was a complete contrast, though. A poor summer transfer window set the tone for a league season full of disappointment. Talisman Diego Costa left after a falling out with Conte and several other players were reported to have been unhappy with the Italian at the helm.

A lack of support in the transfer window saw Conte become increasingly disillusioned and a departure before this season became inevitable after a 5th placed finish in the league.

The former Italy boss did bow out on a high note, though, after Chelsea won the FA Cup for the eighth time at the end of last season.

Verdict: Hit

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