Fútbolita

I never thought I would see the day but there are increasing calls from the Inter faithful for Jose Mourinho to leave.

The self styled “special one” who won the Champions League in 2004, as well as league titles in Portugal, England and Italy, is under intense pressure as Inter’s alarming European form continues to slide downwards. Tuesday’s 2-2 draw with Dynamo Kiev means the Nerazzurri have failed to win a home match in the Champions League for over a year, a run which saw them lose to Panathinaikos and also draw away with Cypriot minnows Anorthosis Famagusta.

Despite leading them to the Scudetto last season, most fans want Mourinho to deliver success in Europe, something which previous manager Roberto Mancini also failed to do. Mourinho is equally desperate to be crowned king of Europe again, having narrowly lost out with Chelsea in two semi-finals in 2005 and 2007 – one of his biggest regrets during his time at Stamford Bridge.

Despite their poor Champions League form last season, Inter did make it through to the knock-out stages, but were comprehensively beaten as eventual finalists Manchester United thoroughly obeyed the Champions League betting odds. This latest slip-up has left them bottom of their group with three draws from their opening three games, with even the consolation prize of a Europa League spot under threat. It is not quite as bad as it sounds, with the other 3 teams all being tied on 4 points, but Inter need to get a result from their next match against Dynamo Kiev or risk complete European elimination.

Patience now seems to be wearing thin with the fans who crave European success, despite Mourinho’s achievements in Serie A; following a 5-0 win at Genoa last weekend the Nerazzurri are back on top of the table, putting their poor start to the season behind them.

But in the bright glare of the fiercely competitive Champions League, his side still seems to fall short and perhaps for the first time in his career the special one is looking, dare I say it, distinctly average.