Jose Mourinho handed strange gift by rival journalist ahead of Champions League clash

Christmas has come early for Jose Mourinho.

Ahead of Real Madrid’s Champions League clash against Inter Milan, Mourinho was given a garden sprinkler adorned with a bow by an Italian journalist.

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Despite the unusual nature of the gift, there is a wholesome meaning behind it.

Why has Jose Mourinho given a sprinkler?

During Mourinho’s time in charge of Inter, he famously led the Nerazzurri to victory over Barcelona in the 2010 Champions League semi-finals.

Mourinho masterminded a 3-1 win in the first leg over Barcelona at the San Siro to put Inter on the brink of a first European Cup final berth since 1972.

Barcelona won the second leg 1-0 but it was not enough to progress.

The celebrations that followed quickly became iconic as the Camp Nou sprinklers came on.

Rather than duck for cover to avoid the water, Mourinho soaked in the moment.

Quite literally, too, as he danced under the water spat out by the sprinklers to revel in scenes that had been decades in the making.

Mourinho then led Inter to victory in the Champions League final, defeating Bayern Munich 2-0 courtesy of Diego Milito’s brace.

The win meant Inter became champions of Europe for the third time in history and the first time in 45 years, cementing Mourinho’s legacy at the club.

That triumph was just the second time Mourinho had led a team to a Champions League crown, having famously done so with Porto in 2004.

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‘The Special One’ is now targeting a third, well over a decade on from Inter’s famous triumph.

Mourinho is hoping to do so with Real, who have won Europe’s most coveted club prize a staggering 15 times.

However, Los Blancos have endured two consecutive seasons without winning a major trophy, prompting Mourinho’s return to the Bernabeu.

Jose Mourinho looks to the future with Real

Despite his previous history at the club, where he was in charge from May 2010 to June 2013, Mourinho is not overly keen to stroll down memory lane.

“At Real Madrid, there are two different periods,” Mourinho said.

“I finished my work here in 2013. We won what we won, and we lost what we lost. We gave everything, but it’s a closed chapter. This has nothing to do with the past, absolutely nothing. These are two different moments in Real Madrid’s history.

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“In 2010, they hadn’t reached the quarterfinals in years, nor had they played a semifinal in years. Now, it’s a Real Madrid that has won in the last ten years.

“These are two different moments, but it doesn’t change my way of thinking. If you ask me if I’m excited about winning the Champions League with Real Madrid, obviously yes, but completely separate from any context of not having achieved it previously.”