That a football coach is managing to refrain from physically assaulting members of the opposition technical team, insulting rival coaches or being rude about their own players, bosses and various institutional organisations is something that should be roundly applauded.
ThatâÂÂs the straw AS are grasping at, as the paper joins the rest of the Spanish football media in crawling on their hands and knees towards the end of another barren international fortnight.
Either through desperation or a sense of duty, TuesdayâÂÂs edition of AS leads with the story that José Mourinho has managed to behave himself for eight whole days - the last âÂÂincidentâ being his praising of Real MadridâÂÂs ultras and insulting of the rest of the club's fans over their lack of support for the team - thus signaling a change in attitude.
Indeed, ever since nearly poking out Tito VilanuevaâÂÂs eye during the Spanish Super Cup clashes, AS has been impressed by MourinhoâÂÂs restraint which has seen the Portuguese trainer mostly polite about opposition teams and their coaches. âÂÂMourinho has changedâ declares the paperâÂÂs front page. âÂÂHeâÂÂs burying the bad guy and now only the great manager that he is can be seen,â declares Alfredo Relaño, tempting a huge amount of fate considering matches against Valencia, Atlético Madrid and Barcelona are all around the corner, all with plenty of opportunity for Mourinho mischief.
Jose cracks his biggest smile for the cameras...
Managers have also been the obsession in Cataluyna of late, with the annual speculation on whether Pep Guardiola will be renewing his contract with the Dream Boys. The Barça boss quite sensibly seems to prefer to go through the process on a year-by-year basis, with the decision dependent on his sanity and hairline at the time.
Mundo Deportivo claim Pep is to make up his mind in January, although Sandro Rosell has revealed that the issue could be resolved straight away. âÂÂPep knows the contract he wants is on the table to be signed when he wants.â LLL hopes that it isnâÂÂt chucked away by the cleaners for recycling in the meantime.
That news certainly doesnâÂÂt stop LluÃÂs Mascaró of Sport from losing sleep at night as the writer tosses and turns on the thorny issue. âÂÂThe problem is not so much the uncertainty that this attitude generates but the chaos it will cause on the day he says heâÂÂs off. ThereâÂÂs no alternative to Pep. No-one is prepared for a future without Guardiola.âÂÂ
NeymarâÂÂs decision to stay at Santos until 2014 is still causing some ripples in the water, with Mundo Deportivo claiming Rosell has already sealed a deal for the young Brazilian to join Barcelona after the next World Cup. That theory certainly seems more plausible, with Santos president Luis Alvaro de Oliveira blasting Florentino Pérez for having âÂÂan arrogant attitude, that of a colonizerâÂÂs mentality.âÂÂ
Even Marca have been forced to acknowledge the fact a Pérez target has been missed, with a story claiming that thereâÂÂs nothing to worry about, with plenty of other young footballing fish in the sea being monitored by beady-eyed Madrid scouts. The names of Iker Muniain, Rafinha, Hazard, Wilshere and Götze are mentioned - all fine players in their own right, but not a certain crest-sporting Brazilian that has escaped FlorentinoâÂÂs clutches, possibly forever.
