Jose Mourinho stole the show during the Champions League final

• Jose Mourinho was a member of the TNT Sports team for Saturday’s final
• Mourinho kept viewers entertained with each of his few but sharp words 
• The new Fenerbahce manager cut the figure of a veteran broadcaster  

It was a night destined to belong to Jude Bellingham. The boy wonder returning to his homeland to conquer the continent, the perfect crescendo to one of the great debut campaigns in that famous Los Blancos shirt.

But it was an old-timer from Setubal, alongside the newcomer from Stourbridge, who stole the show on Saturday night. There are another 11 days until the transfer window opens but TNT Sports may have pulled off the signing of the summer in securing the services of Jose Mourinho for the Champions League final at Wembley.

Twenty years ago Mourinho burst on to the scene in English football at Chelsea, delivering his ‘Special One’ spiel in one of the great introductory press conferences.

These days there are far more grey hairs on the 61-year-old’s head than black ones. His brow is more furrowed and the bags under his eyes a little heavier. They tell the story of a man who has managed at the biggest clubs and won just about everything.

Trophies are less frequent these days. In the eyes of many he is a busted flush at the elite level. He is no longer the man in demand. His latest managerial posting is in Turkey with Fenerbahce. Bridges have been burned in many of Europe’s top leagues.

But if Saturday night reminded us of anything, it was that Mourinho’s zest for football has stood the test of time.

When, for example, asked by Rio Ferdinand who the most famous person in his phonebook is, Mourinho paused for a moment. The corners of his mouth began to crack into that unmistakable cheeky grin. ‘At this moment, the president of Fenerbahce,’ said Mourinho, with his move to the Turkish giants now confirmed.

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The way Mourinho kept his audience hooked with each of his few yet sharp words, you could be forgiven for mistaking him for a veteran broadcaster.

Shooting from the hip on a range of subjects, he left everyone ducking for cover. He joked, ‘It’s time for me to go’ when host Laura Woods suggested bringing over Arsene Wenger, Mourinho’s arch-nemesis from his Chelsea days, for an interview.

Time isn’t a great healer for everyone, it seems.

Mourinho lovingly mocked Gareth Bale, the man standing two steps to his right, saying ‘he was already thinking about winning Augusta’ when the pair joined forces at Tottenham.

‘If next season you play Fenerbahce, calm down,’ came the order to Bellingham, who made a beeline for Mourinho in the quest for a picture with his mother, Denise. ‘Sorry about that, my mum’s fancied you for years,’ joked the Madrid star.

That wasn’t the only moment to leave Woods and Ferdinand in hysterics. At times Woods, back on our screens and at her skilful best after sustaining facial injuries in an accident on holiday, was like a schoolteacher trying to control her class. 

There was, at least, only one troublemaker to deal with. That being Mourinho, who seemed to toddle off mid-broadcast whenever he liked. In one such moment, when Mourinho revealed the words he had shared with beaten Borussia Dortmund boss Edin Terzic, you were reminded of the personal qualities that lie behind the bravado.

‘He was saying it’s very, very hard and I was telling him time is not going to help. It’s going to be hard for the rest of your career, for the rest of your life, but you have to be proud of the work you did because you did amazing,’ recalled Mourinho.

There was also a rare glimpse into Mourinho’s vulnerable side — even if it did come while criticising Erik ten Hag over his handling of Jadon Sancho.

‘As a player we know his talent. For sure the kid made mistakes. But for sure also his manager was not able to get the best out of him,’ said Mourinho. ‘If I look to my own history, sometimes I failed with players. I couldn’t create the right empathy and I couldn’t understand the player’s DNA. I couldn’t help players to grow in the right direction.’

Mourinho couldn’t have been more complimentary about Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti, saying: ‘He’s not a social media coach, he’s a proper coach. He comes from the meritocracy. Go to his office and see how many medals.’

But perhaps the most vintage Mourinho moment came ahead of kick-off when Woods asked the former Chelsea and Manchester United boss what his final words would be to his players in a game of this magnitude.

‘I told my players to make sure their families are crying at the end of the match, not ours,’ said Mourinho, a line delivered with his typically unembellished style.

Never change, please, Jose.