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"The points record in the league belongs to me," Jose Mourinho stated with authority during his famous press conference after being eliminated in the Champions League. He was talking about the 2011-12 season, when Real Madrid reached 100 points in the league.
FC Barcelona sit on 94 points with two games to go. Here is a team that could, if not take it away from him, match it, and just one year after he had achieved it. It really calls into question if these records are really all that special. The strength of Real Madrid and Barcelona relative to the rest of the league is unprecedented.
It probably started in 2009-10, with Pep Guardiola improving Barcelona to 99 points, just two seasons into his appointment (in the year before he joined, they had won 67). Meanwhile, Manuel Pellegrini chased Barca to the wire and finished on 96 points, an improvement of 16 points in his first season in charge.
The fact that Pellegrini remains the coach with the highest winning percentage in Real Madrid history, and was sacked in one season, should tell you about the expectations in the league.
Since 2010, both teams have cracked 90 each year, though Madrid will not this season. This won't go down as one of Barca's best seasons ever, 100 points or no, which should make one wonder, again, if that record is all that important.
Sure, it was one of Mourinho's proudest achievements, along with a Copa del Rey and three CL semifinal appearances. Sure, it would bring a lot of satisfaction in matching that record. Mourinho isn't exactly popular in Barcelona.
And given the choice between having it and not having it, obviously you'd rather have it. But is it worth going exerting the players? Eliminating chances for youngsters?
Isn't the key winning the title? One point, five points, 100... does it matter?
In my opinion it does, but comparatively little. It's something fun, for the record books, but it's of little importance ultimately compared to actually winning La Liga.
Of course, it shows amazing consistency, in perhaps a strong year for La Liga as Real Madrid struggled to pick up points against feisty opposition and as Atletico Madrid legitimately challenged for second. But the true spoils for that are a trophy, not a number.
Mourinho having that record by himself is not the end of the world. And given the current state of La Liga, it's not hard to picture either Real or Barca breaking 100 in the near future, either.