Soccer fans everywhere anxiously await the second half of the season. January arrives with a new transfer window: a month-long binge in the footy speak-easy, where clubs gamble on high-priced additions who are all described as The Missing Piece (did Afonso Alves really cost Middlesbrough over 10 million pounds?). It’s also a chance for smaller clubs to sell their top players at premium prices (Portsmouth turned a 14.5 million pound profit on Lass Diarra after one year).

For the past two years, the transfer window has been an afterthought next to another January arrival: Special1TV. Formerly titled “I’m On Setanta Sports”, Special1TV is a five-minute long puppet show that plays at halftime of games on Setanta Sports. The show is hosted by Jose Mourinho, with Sven-Goren Erickson (called “It” by Jose) and Wayne Rooney (“The Boy”) in supporting roles.

It sounds cheesy, hokey, and silly. And it is. But isn’t that a small price to pay for something that is a consistent source of bellylaughs? The show returns January 2010. Below is a highlight video of the best moments from 2009’s show and one of my favorite episodes (check out the photo of Nani before you watch). You can subscribe to the Special1TV youtube channel. Be Champions. (Videos and photos after the jump.)

A smooth finisher