Jose Mourinho. Probably hasn’t forced his way into the American consciousness yet, but he is probably the most famous/infamous coach in world soccer.

He may well be brilliant. On arrival at Chelsea in 2004, he told English media that as a coach he was a “special one” — and the nickname has followed him around since.

Making that statement was probably the first big, blinking light that world soccer had a megalomaniac on its hands, with all that brings with it — often paranoia, and self-doubt hidden beneath bluster.

And today, it was all on display.

Chelsea lost 3-1 at home to Southampton, a solid English club but one that will be lucky to finish in the top 10 of the 20-team Premier League.

And it was no fluke. Southampton kicked Chelsea’s butt, especially in the second half. First to every ball, pressing constantly, making Chelsea look old, tired and overrated. Making them look like anything but the defending champions of the Premier League. Making their coach seem helpless and culpable for the construction of a team that ended the day 15th in the standings.

And it that were not story enough, then came the various Mourinho post-match media opportunities, in which he rambled on about referees who are out to get Chelsea, and how he will never quit (someone recommended that?) that he will have to be fired (thanks for raising the topic) and that he is the right man for the Chelsea job because there isn’t a manager better than him in the world — conceding some might be as good, but none better, which (for him) represented a burst of humility.

The first we saw of post-match Mourinho, in the UAE, was the BeIN sports interview (might be the world feed; not sure) in which he was asked one question by an off-camera reporter … and he launched on a seven-minute response.

It was not quite a rant and certainly not a tirade, but it was fascinating to watch such an outwardly self-impressed man just blather on and on about whatever was banging around inside of his head. Feckless officials, injustices, errors, bad luck, etc.

It was just him talking. Complaining about a penalty shot Chelsea did not get (and never raising the two that Southampton might have gotten), belaboring that until it was limp and lifeless before shifting over to how he will never quit, how he will have to be fired — which was a bit weird, too, given that Chelsea’s Russian owner, Roman Abramovich, the George Steinbrenner of English soccer, has unreasonable expectations and fires guys on whims. Even Mourinho, having abandoned the Special One back in September of 2007, in Mourinho’s first stint at Chelsea.

And now, everyone wonders where this will go.

Mourinho, 52, has almost no history of struggling, as a coach. Just the opposite. He has won league titles in eight of the past 12 seasons, three of them at Chelsea, but also at Real Madrid, Inter Milan and Porto. The four years he didn’t win the league? His teams were second three times, third once.

His teams once had a nine-year streak of never losing a home league match. Not in 150 games.

He also has won the Champions League twice.

But now? What does he do with his first bad team?

This season, Chelsea opened with a draw at home against Swansea City. Later came thrashings of 3-0 at Manchester City and 3-1 at Everton. Plus home losses to Crystal Palace and Southampton. And a draw with Newcastle United, perhaps the worst team in the league.

Where this all goes, nobody knows. Abramovich might be doing him a favor by dumping him, so he can go someplace and chill out.

Meantime, it is fascinating to watch — in an almost clinical sense — as the Special One struggles to get a grip.