Here's a report I tend to agree with -
Over the years, England has taken to her heart lots of foreigners with funny voices.
Rolf Harris, Yuri Geller, Lloyd Grossman, Prince Phillip, and, of late, Aleksandr (Compare The) Meerkat have all woven themselves into fabric of our national life. We’re very fond of them all.
But the most popular member of our foreign legion, the most adored and admired – the most special – is currently being forced to live in exile. And my God we want him back.
Sky Sports last night interrupted their half-time analysis of Manchester United’s fascinating Champions League quarter-final with Barcelona to bring us an exclusive interview with Jose Mourinho. “I don’t like Italian football, and they don’t like me,” said Mourinho, in his funny foreign voice. “Simple.”
Richard Keys, the embodiment of our national crush on Mourinho, beamed with excitement at this quote, visibly stirred by the prospect of our hero returning ‘home’. “We love him,” agreed Jamie Redknapp, who, when he’s not doing his studio thing, presents Sky 1’s Search For A Star, the channel’s attempt to turn Mourinho into Simon Cowell. It’s as good as it sounds.
Clearly, neither Jamie nor Richard thought there was anything wrong in devoting so much of their precious half-time analysis slot to a routine Mourinho interview (Indeed, given their excitement, it was a surprise they didn’t can the second half and play endless loops of Mourinho pouting “Simple”, with Pomp and Circumstance playing in the background).
And let’s be clear. It was a routine interview. Anyone who’s kept half an eye on Italian football over the last two years will know that Mourinho’s not happy in Serie A, where his shtick just doesn’t work. His latest interview hasn’t moved the story on, so why did Sky allow it to overshadow their programme?
Sky employ an excellent analyst in Ruud Gullit, but once they’re done with adverts, replays, Jamie, and the obligatory Geoff Shreeves/Alex Ferguson interview, Gullit has no time to properly analyse anything. It was the same after the whistle, with the post-match discussion again dominated by Mourinho, as if he was somehow the story of the night.
Don’t get me wrong, Mourinho taking over Manchester City – the only possible job for him here – would be a hugely entertaining prospect. But that’s not happening. Not yet, at least.
And until it does, I’d rather Sky didn’t keep dumbing down what is already fairly dumb coverage with celebrity interviews. Bayern Munich vs Manchester United is a big deal, it doesn’t need irrelevant sideshows.
