As the Champions League kicks off for another season, it's come to be known as the competition that has virtually everything: the clubs with the richest legacies in football, the biggest stars on the planet and the only place to watch a fantasy football-like series of clashes.
The only thing missing this year is Jose Mourinho, who finds himself in charge of a Manchester United side in transition – and he'll be expecting to steer them back to Europe's most prestigious competition next season. That doesn't mean Jose is totally removed from the action, though. He's just become the face of Heineken's new Champions League campaign, the 'Prep Talk', where he stars in a TV commercial directed by Guy Ritchie.
We went behind the scenes at the shoot for the production earlier this year in Prague, where we watched Mourinho get to grips with the script and camera first hand. Anuraag Trikha, brand communication director at Heineken, told us his on-set stories.
"We’ve been sponsoring Champions League for almost ten years and we’ve been trying to make the partnership more progressive. On doing some research with fans, we found this interesting dilemma, that while fans know UEFA Champions League is the best football in the world, they don’t always watch it. Our aim was to encourage fans to watch it, to make it appointment viewing.
"I think Jose saw what Guy has done in the past with Beckham and he recognised what Guy could bring to the table. He knew that Guy could make him comfortable. Jose actually enjoyed the opportunity to be coached, to be trained as an actor.
"It was an absolute privilege to have Guy Ritchie on set. He’s a very confident director, he knows exactly what he wants and he was clear for his vision about the film. It was meant to have a Batman, Gotham City look and Jose delivered the script exactly how Guy envisioned it."
"Guy wanted to make something that was inspiring, but not taking itself too seriously, and that was completely in line with our visions. Jose himself is also someone who takes his work seriously, but not himself. He has humility. He’s a very private, humble man – but a master when it comes to his sport. That contrast is fascinating."
Jose Mourinho and Heineken are getting fans around the world prepped for the new UEFA Champions League season. Watch Jose's Prep Talk here.
