The debate surrounding the greatest strikers in Premier League history rages on but you cannot argue with the ‘goals scored’ statistic. On paper, Alan Shearer is the most prolific forward with an incredible 260 Premier League goals during an illustrious career.

However, you can make a solid argument for the likes of Thierry Henry, Wayne Rooney and even Sergio Aguero as better players than the Newcastle legend. It all depends on how you measure success – whether that’s trophies, total goals or goals per minute.

Here at 888sport, we’ve come up with a series of football quizzes to keep fans entertained as we wait for the 2020 sport calendar to resume. Can you name the top 20 goal scorers in Premier League history? Scroll down and put your knowledge to the test!

We’ve already started you off with a few players who feature on this list – but it’s only going to get tougher. Meanwhile, you can follow the latest football updates and bet on English Premier League games with 888sport throughout the 2019/20 campaign and beyond.
 

 

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Time for the answers…

• Alan Shearer – 260 Premier League goals
• Wayne Rooney – 208 Premier League goals
• Andrew Cole – 187 Premier League goals
• Sergio Aguero – 180 Premier League goals
• Frank Lampard – 177 Premier League goals
• Thierry Henry – 175 Premier League goals
   

 

• Robbie Fowler – 163 Premier League goals
• Jermain Defoe – 162 Premier League goals
• Michael Owen – 150 Premier League goals
• Les Ferdinand – 149 Premier League goals
• Teddy Sheringham – 146 Premier League goals
• Robin van Persie – 144 Premier League goals
• Harry Kane – 136 Premier League goals
• Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink – 127 Premier League goals
   

 

• Robbie Keane – 126 Premier League goals
• Nicolas Anelka – 125 Premier league goals
• Dwight Yorke – 123 Premier League goals
• Steven Gerrard – 120 Premier League goals
• Romelu Lukaku – 113 Premier League goals
• Ian Wright – 113 Premier League goals

 

*Credit for the main photo belongs to Bobo Lauhage / AP Photo*

Horse racing in France a very popular sport and it is the home to some of the biggest races in the world. France has produced some of the world’s leading horses, trainers and jockeys over the years with many becoming household names in their own right.

French horse racing itself is entirely governed by France Galop, a central authority which oversees everything from the organisation of 6,500 races across the country to several aspects of breeding, training and riding.

 

Big French Races

Just like in any other horse racing jurisdiction the most prestigious thoroughbred races are the Group One races. Each year, France Galop organises 27 such races on the flat, and nine over jumps and the majority of them are available in our horse racing betting section throughout the course of the year.

Flat Highlights

From May through to July, the Classics for three-year-olds take place, starting with the Poules d’Essai (Poule d’Essai des Poulains and the Poule d’Essai des Pouliches), two races for colts and fillies individually over a mile. These are the equivalents to the 1,000 and 2,000 Guineas in the UK.

Next up in the calendar are the Prix du Jockey Club and the Prix de Diane Longines at Chantilly, both run over 1 mile and 2½ furlongs a month later in early June.

The third instalment of the Classic season takes place at Paris Longchamp in mid-July with the running of the Grand Prix de Paris (1½ miles), also for three-year-olds. Shortly after this, the Classic generation must finally meet their elders on the track.

Deauville’s Summer Meeting dominates the French Flat programme at the end of July and throughout the month of August. The Prix Morny is the first championship race for two-year-olds, taking place close to the yearling sales.

The Prix Jacques Le Marois, run in mid-August, is one of top three races in the world over a mile and three other Group One’s are contested during this popular meeting.

The Grand Prix season returns to Paris in the autumn, with the seasonal highlight coming every year on the first weekend of October, with the world famous Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe meeting at Paris- Longchamp.

The prep races for Europe’s richest turf race take place on Arc Trials Day three weeks earlier at the same venue.

Jumps Highlights

All the Group One jumps races take place at Auteuil, either in the spring or autumn.

From March to July, the best horses in each discipline from every age group (three, four, and five years old upwards) prepare their climb towards the top-tier meetings in Paris.

These take place on the second last weekend of May with the running of the Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris, and the second weekend in June, when the Grande Course de Haies d’Auteuil takes place.

The International Jumps Weekend, which takes place at the beginning of November, is another highlight on the jumps calendar.

At this meeting an equivalent of the Grand Steeple (Prix La Haye Jousselin) is run, as well as the Grande Course de Haies d’Automne.

Auteuil keeps on racing until it closes its gates at the beginning of December. After that point, some trainers then decide to go south for the winter to venues such as Cagnes-sur-Mer or Pau to ply their trade.

So in summary, the calendar for the key French races each year is as follows:

• May - French 1,000 and 2,000 Guineas (Paris-Longchamp)
• May - Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris (Auteuil)
• June - French Derby and Oaks (Chantilly)
• July - Grand Prix de Paris (Paris-Longchamp)
• August - Deauville's month long Group One meetings (Deauville)
• September - Arc Trials Day (Paris-Longchamp)
• October - Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe meeting (Paris-Longchamp)
• November - 48 Heures de l'Obstacle (Auteuil)

You can find the full schedule of French Group One’s, Two’s, Three’s and Listed Races via the French Black Type Season.

 

Main French Racecourses

With well over 200 racecourses in France there is generally something available for punters to bet on with Flat fixtures, Jumps, and Trotting cards, with most of them being particularly plentiful at the weekend.

During the summer months, the big Flat yards switch their attentions primarily to the coastal town of Deauville where the two tracks (Deauville and Clairefontaine) stage a plethora of fixtures, including a Group One every weekend in August.

Any summer jumps action away from Paris takes place primarily at Clairefontaine, which also holds Flat racing too.

From December to February the all-weather tracks at Chantilly and Deauville keep the north of country ticking over, while the south tend to race on the all-weather at Marseille and Lyon.

The winter jumps meetings take place at Cagnes-Sur-Mer from the beginning of December until mid-January, and at Pau which continues through to February. A popular Christmas Day fixture regularly tales place at Pau.

 

Top French Jockeys & Trainers

France has produced a number of world-class jockeys and trainers over the decades, but none more famous than Yves Saint-Martin.

He won French Champion Jockey a total of 15 times and his stellar racing career included four Arcs, four Grand Prix du Paris and five Prix de Diane races among all the countless other high-profile victories he amassed.

On the French training scene, one of the greats is still training to this day. Andre Fabre was a highly successful jumps jockey before turning his hand to training. He has been crowned the champion trainer no less than 30 times and his CV is just mind blowing.

Not only has he captured the Arc and Grand Prix du Paris, but also the Breeders Cup and Arlington Million in the US, along with the Derby and the St Leger in Great Britain.

France currently has a great crop of jockeys riding at the top of their game in the country. As of March 2020 the top Flat riders include Pierre- Charles Boudot (last year’s Arc winner), Christophe Soumillon, Maxime Guyon and Cristian Demuro.

As for the current top Flat trainers, these include the legendary Andre Fabre, Jean-Claude Rouget, Henri-Alex Pantall, Carlos Laffon-Parias and Frederic Rossi.

You can find out if any of the French racecourses are racing today by checking our daily sport updates.

 

*Credit for the main photo belongs to Michel Euler / AP Photo*

The Premier League is widely regarded as the best domestic football competition on the planet. While some doubt how competitive the Premier League is these days, it is hard to argue against the view that England’s top flight is the greatest in football.

Some of the greatest footballers of all-time have played in the Premier League, with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Steven Gerrard and Thierry Henry putting on a show for the millions of fans around the world.

But which players have made the most appearances in Premier League history? Scroll down to take our Premier League appearances quiz and put your football knowledge to the test. A few of the top spots may surprise you...

We’re generous here at 888sport with offers and promotions so we’ll get you started. The footballer in the image at the top of the page makes the cut – though we’re pretty sure that 99.9% of players wouldn’t have forgotten him!

So, what are you waiting for? Get stuck into our football quiz while we wait for the English Premier League betting odds to return in the near future. Best of luck – let us know how you get on!

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Time for the answers…

• Gareth Barry – 653 Premier League appearances
   

 

• Ryan Giggs – 632 Premier League appearances
• Frank Lampard – 609 Premier League appearances
• David James – 572 Premier League appearances
• Gary Speed – 535 Premier League appearances
• James Milner – 534 Premier League appearances
• Emile Heskey – 516 Premier League appearances
• Mark Schwarzer – 514 Premier League appearances
• Jamie Carragher – 508 Premier League appearances
• Phil Neville – 505 Premier League appearances
   

 

• Rio Ferdinand – 504 Premier League appearances
• Steven Gerrard – 504 Premier League appearances
• Sol Campbell – 503 Premier League appearances
• Paul Scholes – 499 Premier League appearances
• Jermain Defoe – 496 Premier League appearances
• John Terry – 492 Premier League appearances
• Wayne Rooney – 491 Premier League appearances
• Michael Carrick – 481 Premier League appearances
• Sylvain Distin – 469 Premier League appearances
• Peter Crouch – 468 Premier League appearances

 

*Credit for the main photo belongs to Jon Super / AP Photo*

Everybody wants to keep up with the latest football gossip. Whether that’s players falling out on the training pitch or the latest transfer rumours, speculation is part of the sport – and that is evident when it comes to the personal lives of footballers around the world.

We all want to know the latest hints and gossip and WAGs news is always popular in the football world. Who are the hottest WAGs in the Premier League? Which WAGs attended the 2018 World Cup? Who are the most popular WAGs in football? These are just a few of the questions that people want to know.

Here, we look at the most famous football WAGs, as well as a look at when the term was first used and how its popularity has grown around the world. Without further ado, let’s dive into the world of footballers’ wives and girlfriends.

 

Football WAGs – Where Did The Term Come From?

Cast your minds back to the 2002 World Cup. The term WAGs was coined in the build-up to the tournament in Japan and South Korea, with the England wives and girlfriends spending time together during the competition.

According to football betting and news reports, the first use of WAGs can be attributed to staff at the Jumeirah Beach Club in Dubai. The England camp did indeed spend time at the resort prior to the 2002 World Cup.

The use of WAGs rocketed in the coming years and it was common practice by the time the 2006 World Cup came around. Newspapers and publications all over the world were using WAGs as a term for the partners.

WAGs have sometimes been painted in a negative light – mainly due to tabloids producing cringey, judgemental headlines. However, it is important to remember that many WAGs are successful in their own right and don’t simply rely on their footballer for the lifestyle.

 

Premier League WAGs:

Looking back through the history of Premier League WAGs, Victoria Beckham and Coleen Rooney stand out as the most popular and famous wives in football.

Victoria made a name for herself as a member of the Spice Girls in the early 1990s before marrying the then-Manchester United midfielder David Beckham in 1999.

Victoria is the dominant figure in WAGs culture and the couple have an estimated net worth of $450 million. The Beckham brand is now one of the most popular in the world…

Meanwhile, Coleen met Wayne when she was just 12 years old and they’ve been a couple since the age of 16. They got married in Italy back in 2008 and have four children together.

If you asked someone to name the first WAG to come into their head, Coleen Rooney would probably be the answer. She is undoubtedly the nation’s favourite WAG.

Arsenal WAGs:

Leonita Lekaj

Lekaj married Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka in July 2017 before giving birth to daughter Ayana in October 2019. She is a frequent match-goer at the Emirates Stadium.

She is one of the most well-known Arsenal wives and Lekaj is a real hit on Instagram, with over 200,000 followers as of April 2020. Xhaka has struggled at times on the pitch but he’s certainly a winner off it.
 

Vjosa Kaba

Kaba tied the knot with Arsenal defender Shkodran Mustafi in the summer of 2016 – more or less the same time the Germany international agreed to join the north London club from La Liga side Valencia.

The couple have two children together and this brunette beauty has over 24,000 followers on Instagram. Kaba and Mustafi have managed to keep their private life under wraps but she is easily one of the top Arsenal WAGs to follow.

 

Liverpool WAGs:

Alex Curran

A model and columnist for the Daily Mirror, Curran was part of the original WAGs brigade at the 2006 World Cup. She has been married to Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard since 2007 and the couple have four children together.

Curran and Gerrard are two huge figures in the football world; the latter will go down as one of the club’s best players while the former is one of the most popular Liverpool WAGs.

Perrie Edwards

Edwards has been dating Liverpool midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain since February 2017 and she could soon be partner to a title winner if the Premier League Odds are right.

The two went viral on social media after The Ox uploaded a TikTok of the pair dancing while in self-isolation. Edwards is part of the biggest girl band on the planet and she is forming quite the football power couple alongside Oxlade-Chamberlain.

Manchester City WAGs:

Paige Milian

Milian met Raheem Sterling during his time at Queens Park Rangers and she made the hard decision to move to Liverpool with the England youngster back in 2010. Since then, the couple have got engaged and have a three-year-old son named Thiago.

The two are often pictured out and about in Manchester together, with Milian taking a focal role in Sterling’s private life. Milian is a social influencer while also heading up the Milian Property Group.

Lais Moraes

Married to Brazil goalkeeper Ederson for well over three years, Moraes is easily one of the most attractive Manchester City WAGs. Her partner is known for his performances on the pitch but Moraes is just as eye-catching off it.

The couple have been touted as the most loved-up pair in the Premier League and they already have two children together. Moraes is an ever-present at the Etihad Stadium to watch her husband play.

 

Manchester United WAGs:

Edurne Garcia

Known as Edurne, the Spaniard has been in a long-term relationship with Manchester United shot stopper David de Gea since 2010. They are one of the Premier League’s top power couples in recent years.

Supremely talented, Edurne is a successful singer and she represented Spain at the 2015 Eurovision Song Contest. In addition, she is also a television presenter and also acts and models on the side. Just like her partner, she’s a keeper.
 

Melanie Da Cruz

Engaged to Manchester United forward Anthony Martial since last spring, Da Cruz is a real stunner. Look at any list of the hottest Manchester United WAGs and she will almost certainly make the cut.

Martial isn’t a leading contender in the Player of the Year odds but he’s onto a winner with Da Cruz off the pitch. Watch this space, this pair can shine in Manchester for years to come.

 

Serie A WAGs:

Italy’s top flight is one of the most popular leagues in world football and the WAGs culture is similar to that of the Premier League. Here are two of the most famous Serie A WAGs…

Wanda Nara

The wife and agent of Inter Milan and Argentina forward Mauro Icardi, Nara is a jack of all trades. She has enjoyed success in the theatre, as a television personality and as a model.

According to reports, Nara is pushing for Paris Saint-Germain to allow Icardi to return to Inter Milan – the San Siro side are well fancied in Italian Serie A betting odds to claim the title.

Sam Cooke

Cooke was a successful glamour model for various magazines in the UK and she quickly developed her brand across the world – she was the poster woman for a number of popular publications.

Now married to AS Roma defender Chris Smalling, Cooke has close ties to modelling agency Girl Management. She is one of the most stunning Serie A WAGs in football.

 

*Credit for the main photo belongs to Claude Paris / AP Photo*

The Grand National has been a sporting institution since its inaugural running in 1839. Rather aptly a horse called Lottery won the very first race and Captain Becher fell at the brook which dissects the racecourse, and of course the rest is history!

In those early days, horses jumped a stone wall, crossed over fields and finished over two hurdles, but fortunately health and safety and the welfare of horses has made the contest a much fairer spectacle in the subsequent years.

The Grand National has made household names out of the likes of Red Rum, Aldaniti, Ginger McCain and Jenny Pitman, whilst fences such as Becher’s Brook, The Chair and the Canal Turn are that familiar to worldwide audiences that they regularly feature in general knowledge quizzes around the globe.

In honour of world’s greatest steeplechase, here is our very own Grand National Quiz. Let’s see how you get on?

 

Grand National Quiz: Questions

1. Sir Anthony McCoy finally won the 2010 Grand National aboard Don’t Push It, but how many unsuccessful attempts did he have prior to his victory?
2. Who was the first female jockey to complete the Grand National?
3. Complete the missing runner from the 1988 result 1.Rhyme ‘N’ Reason 2. ______ 3.Monanore 4.West Tip
4. Which winner of the race, since the turn of the millennium, was named after his owner’s holiday home?
5. The legendary Red Rum was successful in 1973, ‘74 and ’77 but where did Ginger McCain do most of his training with him?
6. Which horse holds the record for the fastest winning time in the Grand National?
7. How many times did jockey Paul Moloney finish in the top four places without winning?
8. Which horse “won” the void Grand National in 1993?
9. How many female trainers in total have won the Grand National?
10. Lots of interesting names have been allocated to the Grand National fences over the years, but what is the fence jumped as the 3rd and the 19th know as?
     

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Grand National Quiz Answers...

Sir Anthony McCoy finally won the 2010 Grand National aboard Don’t Push It, but how many unsuccessful attempts did he have prior to his victory?

Answer: McCoy won the National on his 15th attempt, so the answer is 14. McCoy’s win was also a just reward for his legions of fans that had kept the faith with him through thick and thin over the previous 14 years.

Who was the first female jockey to complete the Grand National?

Answer:  Geraldine Rees became the first woman to complete the course in 1982 when riding a horse called Cheers. The pairing managed to finish the race in eighth and last place.

Complete the missing runner from the 1988 result: 1.Rhyme ‘N’ Reason 2. ______ 3.Monanore 4.West Tip

Answer: Durham Edition. The Arthur Stephenson trained Durham Edition was to miss out twice, firstly to Rhyme ‘N’ Reason then again in 1990 to Mr Frisk.

Which winner of the race, since the turn of the millennium, was named after his owner’s holiday home?

Answer:  Named after his owner Bernard Carroll’s holiday home in Portugal, Numbersixvalverde gave jockey Niall “slippers” Madden a thrilling win on his first Grand National ride, aged just 20, in 2006.

The legendary Red Rum was successful in 1973, ‘74 and ’77 but where did Ginger McCain do most of his training with him?

Answer: People have been captivated by the tale of the people’s champion who exercised on Southport Beach for many years, and in 2020 a mural was commissioned by Sefton Council in his honour.

It was painted by Paul Curtis and can be found by the promenade on a gable end wall at the top of Scarisbrick Avenue, Southport.

Which horse holds the record for the fastest winning time in the Grand National?

Answer: The horse with the fastest time was the Kim Bailey-trained and Marcus Armytage-ridden Mr Frisk in 1990. He completed the course in a staggering 8 minutes and 47.8 seconds on going described as firm.

Could we see a faster time in the 2020 Virtual Grand National this weekend?

How many times did jockey Paul Moloney finish in the top four places without winning?

Answer: Maloney finished in the first four seven times and came closest to success aboard Cappa Bleu, who was the runner-up to Auroras Encore in 2013.

Remarkably all of those seven places were in the colours of William and Angela Rucker, who owned his other two mounts, State Of Play and Alvarado.

Which horse “won” the void Grand National in 1993?

Answer: Esha Ness. The 1993 Grand National was declared void after two false starts reduced the race to a horse racing farce.

When 30 of the 39 riders failed to realise a false start had been called and set off around the racetrack, the Jockey Club had no option but to void the race.

Esha Ness, a 50-1 outsider trained by Jenny Pitman and ridden by John White, was called home by Sir Peter O'Sullevan as the winner of "the National that surely isn't".

How many female trainers have won the Grand National?

Answer: Jenny Pitman, Venetia Williams, Sue Smith and Lucinda Russell have all saddled Grand National winners, making a total of four women in all.

Jenny Pitman became the first woman to train a Grand National winner when Corbiere was successful in 1983. She then gained compensation for the 1993 debacle when Royal Athlete became her second winner, at odds of 40/1 in the Grand National betting.

The next Grand National winner trained by a woman was Venetia Williams’ 100/1-shot Mon Mome who was successful in 2009.

Sue Smith became the third woman to join that esteemed list of female trainers when Auroras Encore came home first in 2013, whilst Lucinda Russell became the last female name on the Grand National’s roll of honour when her One For Arthur took the 2017 spoils.

Lots of interesting names have been allocated to the Grand National fences over the years, but what is the fence jumped as the 3rd and the 19th know as?

Answer: At 5ft high, this open ditch is also known as ‘Westhead’ after the late Steve Westhead who was one of Aintree’s fence builders and worked at Aintree Racecourse in the 1970’s.

 

*Credit for the main photo belongs to Jon Super / AP Photo*

With the 2020 sporting calendar impacted around the world, sport fans will be looking to find a list of events that are still going on – either with matches behind closed doors or online competitive e-sports.

The Premier League, Champions League, US Masters and French Open are just a few of the upcoming sport competitions that are postponed for the time being but 888sport is the place to be for daily updates regarding future sport events.

Here, sport fans can find the latest information regarding matches, tournaments and events that are happening in the next few days. We will be updating this page daily so be sure to check back to get your sporting fix throughout the week.

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WEDNESDAY 20TH MAY

Football ?:

Club Friendly Matches

 

Horse Racing ?:

Various meetings around the world

 

Greyhounds ?:

Various meetings throughout the day

 

E-Sports ?:

FIFA Pro League

Dota 2

League Of Legends

CS: GO

 

Table Tennis ?:

Various tournaments

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THURSDAY 21ST MAY

 

Football ?:

 

Club Friendly Matches

 

Horse Racing ?:

Various meetings around the world

 

Greyhounds ?:

Various meetings throughout the day

 

E-Sports ?:

FIFA Pro League

Dota 2

League Of Legends

CS: GO

 

Table Tennis ?:

Various tournaments

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FRIDAY 22ND MAY

 

Football ?:

 

German Bundesliga Matches

Belarusian Premier League Matches

Club Friendly Matches

 

Horse Racing ?:

Various meetings around the world

 

Greyhounds ?:

Various meetings throughout the day

 

E-Sports ?:

FIFA Pro League

Dota 2

League Of Legends

CS: GO

 

Table Tennis ?:

Various tournaments

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SATURDAY 23RD MAY

Football ?:

German Bundesliga Matches

Belarusian Premier League Matches

Club Friendly Matches

 

Horse Racing ?:

Various meetings around the world

 

Greyhounds ?:

Various meetings throughout the day

 

E-Sports ?:

FIFA Pro League

Dota 2

League Of Legends

CS: GO

 

Table Tennis ?:

Various tournaments

The arrival of Jose Mourinho used to be synonymous with a team becoming football betting favourites. The second act of Mourinho’s career has not been the same.

Following an historic Champions League win with Porto, Mourinho won Chelsea their first league title in half a century, developing a core of a team that went on to win everything there is to win.

A trip to Milan came next – Mourinho built a resolute team of veterans to secure another unlikely Champions League triumph. A European tour had always seemed probable for Mourinho, and it continued with the big one: Real Madrid.

His spell in the Spanish capital coincided with one of the greatest teams to play the game pulling on the blue and garnet of Barcelona.

Mourinho won a solitary league title in his spell in Spain, faced criticism from the press and had some challenging relationships with players.

Smiley on his return to Chelsea, Mourinho brought that trademark resilience back to west London, going close at his first, despite being outsiders in the Premier League outright odds, before lifting his third title as Blues manager.

The demise was, once again, ugly. He left Chelsea languishing in 16th in the top flight table.

Manchester United, a job he had been linked with throughout his career, was next. There were trophies, and a lot of expectation management, but Mourinho was seldom happy.

Public criticism of players was the standout of his spell, and something that has reappeared at Tottenham.

Mourinho was a friend to his players at Porto and Chelsea first time round. He was an arm-round-the-shoulder manager, and while still a provocateur of opponents, he had a distinct charm.

The football was often turgid, but Mourinho was box office, and his players loved him.

The teams were not perfect tactically (if any team is), and the Champions League failings at Chelsea were brutal. There was no question about which manager you would take to win a one-off match, though.

Mourinho was the master of mind games and outmanoeuvring his opponent, which continued through his decorated spell at Inter.

Pressure is higher at Real Madrid than any other club in the world.

It took its toll on Mourinho, despite his side rattling in the goals and playing some thrilling counter-attacking football, he was a different man, and as a by-product a different manager, after his time in Spain.
 

The second spell at Chelsea saw the honeymoon happiness end earlier than the first. The early, cheery Mourinho was barely seen at Manchester United.

There has always been a sense that appointing Mourinho is an investment in short-term gain with the knowledge there could be longer-term pain as a result. He’s always been a win-right-this-second football manager.

Short-term gain was fine when he won league titles. The period of gain has shrunk to the point that clubs are getting third season Mourinho in his first campaign.

Although a ferocious competitor who will win at all costs, there was no question he was enjoying himself in the 2000s. Since then, though, his competitiveness has transitioned all too often to spite, ruining relationships with players and directors swiftly.

The on-field product that once seemed pragmatic now seems like over-the-top negativity, a desire to avoid defeat overshadowing any plan to win.

Moving from club to club, with the reputation as the guarantee of success, brings incomprehensible pressure. It’s pressure that few on the planet can understand.

The drama, the sheer Mourinho-ness, of Jose’s career must have been exhausting, even for a man that seemed to thrive in the spotlight.
 

Once unbeatable in the biggest matches, Mourinho’s presence on the touchline has the near-opposite impact in Premier League betting.

Maybe it would be different if he had the best squad in the league once again, maybe he would start to enjoy it again. Maybe his teams would be set up differently.

For now, though, the results Mourinho achieves do not put him among the best in the world.

Mourinho’s highest level was so high, it’s no insult to say that’s now unattainable. The peak performances of his teams are tumbling, and the enjoyable period at the start of his tenures is shortening.

The charismatic, motivating force of the early 2000s is long gone. Mourinho remains a modern great, with a barely rivalled CV, but his time at the very top of the sport has passed.
Reputation alone will likely see him pick up high-profile jobs as long as he desires, though there are often better options available.

He’s a different character from the peak of managerial powers. His tactics are bordering on anachronistic. There has been a clear path of progression for much of Mourinho’s managerial career – that is no longer the case.

Nobody knows what the next step will be, but it’s unlikely to be at a Champions League challenging a club. Perhaps it’s time for a move to international football.

 

*Credit for the main photo belongs to Antonio Calanni / AP Photo*