The Portuguese manager going up against his ex-club at Stamford Bridge would ooze with intrigue even if it were a lowly youth team reserve match.
Tuesday the stakes were just a wee bit higher when Mourinho brought his Inter Milan club into West London carrying a 2-1 advantage into the second leg of their Champions Lague knockout stage match.
Before the match began, Mourinho said that win or lose he'd still remain the "Special One" -- his self-appointed nickname upon taking over Chelsea coaching duties in 2004. After guiding Inter to a 1-0 win Tuesday and into the quarterfinals of the competition, Mourinho might need to add the word "Extra" to his tag.
MILAN, Italy (AP) -- David Beckham will miss the World Cup and most if not all the Los Angeles Galaxy season after tearing his left Achilles' tendon Sunday while playing for AC Milan.
His international career for England is all but over. It remains to be seen how much he'll have left for the Galaxy and Major League Soccer.
"He will miss the World Cup for sure," a person familiar with the injury told The Associated Press, speaking on condition of anonymity because an official announcement had not been made. The person said it was likely the 34-year-old midfielder will play again.
Beckham was injured without getting hit during AC Milan's 1-0 Italian League win over visiting Chievo Verona.
With only a few minutes remaining and the score 0-0, Beckham was by himself with the ball at his feet, shifted his weight and reached a hand down to his left heel. Beckham then stood up and snapped his wrists like he was breaking a twig in half in a gesture to show the AC Milan bench he knew the tendon was broken.
Visibly in pain and in tears, Beckham went to the sideline for medical attention, leaving Milan a man short because all three substitutes had been used.
"He felt the muscle begin to come up, which is a typical symptom when you break an Achilles' tendon," Milan coach Leonardo told Sky. "This is a real blow."
Sky reported that Beckham said, "It's broken, it's broken," when he came off.
Club physician Jean Pierre Meersseman told Italy's Sky TV that Beckham will fly to Finland, where he will be treated by specialist surgeon Dr. Sakari Orava.
"He'll go to Finland tomorrow and will be operated on probably tomorrow afternoon or Tuesday morning," Meersseman said.
While Beckham has not been a starter for England in recent matches, he was likely to make the World Cup roster as a reserve and looked forward to the high-profile June 12 matchup against the United States -- and Galaxy teammate Landon Donovan. Although no longer a top player, Beckham was still useful for his free kicks and crosses, especially when England needed second-half goals.
And for many, he was the most-known soccer player in the world, a fashion icon with a celebrity wife, former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham. A 2002 movie was even named after him, "Bend it Like Beckham."
The former Manchester United and Real Madrid star was on his second loan stint to AC Milan from Los Angeles Galaxy as he looked to boost his chances of making England coach Fabio Capello's 23-man World Cup roster. With no chance to play in the World Cup, his international career is likely over after 17 goals and 115 appearances, second in English history behind only goalkeeper Peter Shilton's 125 matches from 1970-90.
Beckham was England's captain from November 2000 through the 2006 World Cup. He was due back with the Galaxy after the World Cup.
"He'll probably be out for five or six months," AC Milan vice president Adriano Galliani told Sky. "I saw him really suffering. In the changing room I hugged him and told him that if he wants he can join us next year, too."
It was yet another blow for Major League Soccer, already facing the threat of a players' strike ahead of the season opener on March 25. Beckham is the league's highest-paid player with a $32.5 million, five-year contract and its biggest draw.
"We just received the information about David's unfortunate injury," MLS commissioner Don Garber said. "We wish him a speedy recovery."
Galaxy coach Bruce Arena said it was too early to tell exactly how long Beckham will be out. He didn't want to discuss the impact the injury would have on Los Angeles' season. He wouldn't blame the injury on the loan.
"Players get hurt whether they're on loan or not," he said. "Injuries are unfortunately part of the game."
Capello and his England assistant Franco Baldini spoke with Beckham on the telephone to offer best wishes, according to British news agency The Press Association.
In April 2002, Beckham broke a bone in his left foot during a European Champions League game against Spain's Deportivo La Coruna. His injury and recovery were front-page news to fixated England fans.
England fell short in the 2002 World Cup and yet again in 2006, still hoping for its first title since 1966.
Beckham returned Sunday to AC Milan's starting lineup after a reserve-appearance in Wednesday's 4-0 Champions League loss at Manchester United, his first match at Old Trafford against his old club since he left after the 2002-03 season. Beckham was treated Sunday for a deep cut to his right cheek following a collision early in the first half.
With the game scoreless, Beckham nearly scored in the 84th, but Chievo goalkeeper Stefano Sorrentino stopped his close-range effort.
"Beckham came here because he wanted to help Milan return to the top and he was looking to get a jersey for the national team and participate in the World Cup," Milan defender Gianluca Zambrotta said. "If other victories come, there will surely be a dedication for David Beckham."
Sunday's win moved Milan (17-4-7) within one point of Serie A leader Inter Milan (17-3-8) with 10 games remaining.
Any chance of a ninth-hour extension of Landon Donovan's loan to Everton from the Los Angeles Galaxy apparently came to an end Sunday, when the English club confirmed on its website that the American midfielder will return to the States.
Donovan's initial agreement was for a 10-week stay on Merseyside, but his revelatory play had supporters pleading to manager David Moyes to somehow find a way to keep him around a little bit longer. However Galaxy manager Bruce Arena was adament about bringing his star -- the 2009 MLS MVP -- back to the Home Depot Center.
The March 25 opener of the MLS regular season is approaching quickly and the players, absent a new collective bargaining agreement, are having some trouble keeping their composure.
On Wednesday, veteran Toronto Nick Garcia (pictured, left) told CBC that the players are "anticipating not having the season starting" on time and that they will strike without a new deal. On Thursday afternoon, players told The Washington Post and Big Apple Soccer that union membership has approved a strike by a nearly-unanimous margin (only two were against a stoppage) and that the chance of finding common ground with the league over the next two weeks "doesn't look good at all."
Without specifics, it's unclear whether this bluster constitutes yet another negotiating ploy or whether the union really is prepared to go nuclear. Could they genuinely be considering blowing the whole thing up in protest of the structural and economic principles that allow them to be professional soccer players in the first place?
In the wake of Stuart Holden's broken leg suffered in last week's friendly vs. the Netherlands, the amount of injuries to key players on the U.S. National Team had reached such a crisis point where you'd almost have to think Landon Donovan was looking over his shoulder at all times for signs of black cats crossing his path.
Thursday the U.S. received a doubly good shot in the arm with positive updates from a pair of would-be starters at the upcoming World Cup in June as both Clint Dempsey and Charlie Davies made progress from their respective injuries.
Dempsey came on as a sub in Fulham's 3-1 loss in Turin to Juventus in the Europa League, while Davies continues to take positive strides in his rehabilitation in France.
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Jose Mourinho vs. Chelsea, need we say any more?
MILAN, Italy (AP) -- David Beckham will miss the World Cup and most if not all the Los Angeles Galaxy season after tearing his left Achilles' tendon Sunday while playing for AC Milan..jpg)
Any chance of a ninth-hour extension of 
The March 25 opener of the MLS regular season is approaching quickly and the players, absent a new collective bargaining agreement, are having some trouble keeping their composure..jpg)
In the wake of 
