The Premier League is today releasing the sixth film in its ‘Iconic Stories’ series to mark the League’s 30th anniversary.
‘The Special One’ looks at how José Mourinho delivered Chelsea’s first Premier League title at the end of the 2004/05 season – his first with the club – ending Chelsea’s 50-year stint without a league trophy.
Two of the stars of that side, Frank Lampard and Joe Cole, recall the impact Mourinho made after joining the club from Porto who he had led to Champions League glory the season before
The Portuguese famously made a name for himself right from the start, declaring himself a ‘Special One’.
Lampard says: “I think it was a very clever press conference. In English culture, in the Premier League, it is probably not the norm that the manager announces himself with such confidence. And it also was a message to the club and to the players, that he was coming in, and that he’s coming in with confidence and he’s coming in to be a winner.”
The Chelsea stars describe their relationship with Mourinho during that season, with Lampard commenting: “Before working with José, I would not have a relationship with my manager outside of the workplace… The minute that José came in, there was something different in his style, in his relationship with the players and how he worked with us. It was authentic, it was real, he cared about you, he wanted to make you better, he wanted to make the team a winning team.”
Cole adds: “He soaked up all the animosity from the players. It was all directed towards him. It fuelled us because we wanted to do it for the boss. He knew what he was saying to get under the skin of the right person at the right time.”
Chelsea went into their game against Bolton in April 2005 knowing a win would secure them their first Premier League title. Despite a tense, goalless, first half, the second period saw Lampard score twice to seal a 2-0 win and the title.
For Cole, Mourinho was more than a manager, saying: “I firmly believe that for this club, he is the most important figure. He revolutionised English football.”
Fans can watch the full film from 11am on Tuesday 11 August at youtube.com/premierleague and are invited to share their own favourite memories of the past 30 years of the Premier League over social media using #PL30.. The ‘Iconic Stories’ series includes 10 films looking at some of the most memorable matches, seasons and goals in Premier League history, with a different film released each weekday between 8 and 19 August.
The first Premier League match took place on 15 August 1992. Over the next 30 seasons, 4,488 players from 120 different nations have featured in 11,646 fixtures (correct at the start of the 2022/23 season).
