José Mourinho is a famous football coach and former player who has achieved remarkable success in various leagues and competitions.
He is currently the head coach of Roma, a top club in Italy’s Serie A.
Mourinho is known for his tactical acumen, charismatic personality and controversial statements. He is hailed by many pundits and fans as one of the greatest managers of all time.
File
- Full name: José Mário dos Santos Mourinho Félix GOIH
- Nickname: Special One
- Date of birth: January 26, 1963
- Age: 60 years old
- Gender: Male
- Place of birth: Setúbal, Portugal
- Nationality: Portuguese
- Occupation: Football coach and former player
- Height: 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in)
- Parents: José Manuel Mourinho Félix (father) and Maria Júlia Carrajola dos Santos (mother)
- Siblings: Teresa Félix (older sister)
- Spouse: Matilde Faria (d. 1989)
- Children: José Mário Mourinho Júnior (son) and Matilde Mourinho (daughter)
- Relationship status: Married
- Net worth: $50 million
Early life and education
José Mourinho, 60 years old as of 2023, was born on January 26, 1963 in Setúbal, a coastal city in Portugal.
He is the son of José Manuel Mourinho Félix, a former goalkeeper and coach, and Maria Júlia Carrajola dos Santos, a primary school teacher.
He grew up in a middle-class family with his older sister Teresa. His father’s passion for football influenced him.
He attended the Instituto Superior de Educação Física (ISEF), majoring in sports science and obtaining a degree in physical education.
He also played football as a midfielder for various amateur and semi-professional teams, but he realized he did not have the talent and physical strength to become a professional player.
Instead, he decided to pursue a coaching career and began studying the game and its tactics.
Personal life
José Mourinho married Matilde Faria, his childhood sweetheart, in 1989. They have two children: José Mário Mourinho Júnior, born in 1996 and also a footballer, and Matilde Mourinho, born in 1997, a model and celebrity.
Mourinho is a devout Catholic and has the names of his wife and children tattooed on his wrist.
He is also fluent in several languages, including Portuguese, English, Spanish, Italian and French. He is known for his close relationships with his players and staff as well as fierce rivalries with other coaches and clubs.
Throughout his career, he has been involved in many controversies and disagreements, such as criticizing referees, clashing with the media, and making provocative gestures and comments.
Career
José Mourinho began his coaching career as an interpreter and assistant coach to legendary English coach Bobby Robson at Sporting CP, Porto and Barcelona.
He learned a lot from Robson and developed his own philosophy and management style. He then worked as assistant coach to Louis van Gaal at Barcelona before becoming head coach of Benfica in 2000.
He left Benfica after a few months due to disagreements with the club’s president and joined Uniao de Leiria in 2001. He impressed with his performances and was hired by Porto in 2002.
In his first season, he led Porto to an unprecedented treble of Primeira Liga, Taça de Portugal and UEFA Cup. He then led Porto to another league title and the UEFA Champions League in his second season, beating Monaco 3–0 in the final.
He became famous for his celebration after Porto eliminated Manchester United in the quarter-finals, running onto the pitch and kneeling.
He also coined the term “Special person” when he introduced himself to the media as the new Chelsea manager in 2004. Mourinho moved to Chelsea in 2004 and transformed the club into a dominant force in England and Europe.
He won the Premier League in his first season with a record 95 points and repeated the feat in his second season.
He also won the FA Cup and League Cup twice with Chelsea and reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League twice. He left Chelsea in 2007 by mutual consent after a disagreement with the club’s owner, Roman Abramovich.
He joined Inter Milan in 2008 and won the Serie A title and the Italian Super Cup in his first season. In his second season, he achieved a historic treble of Serie A, Coppa Italia and UEFA Champions League, becoming the first coach to win the treble in two different countries. He defeated Barcelona 3-2 on aggregate in the semi-finals and Bayern Munich 2-0 in the final.
He left Inter Milan in 2010 and signed for Real Madrid, where he won the Copa del Rey in 2011 and the La Liga title in 2012, breaking Barcelona’s dominance in Spain.
He also reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League three times with Real Madrid but failed to win the title. He left Real Madrid in 2013 and returned to Chelsea for a second spell.
Mourinho returned to Chelsea in 2013, leading the team to third place in the Premier League in his first season. He then won the League Cup and the Premier League title in his second season, becoming the first manager to win all three trophies.
However, he was sacked in December 2015 after a poor start to the 2015/16 season, with Chelsea finishing 16th, one point above the relegation zone.
In his first season, he joined Manchester United in 2016 and won the FA Community Shield, League Cup and UEFA Europa League. He also finished second in the Premier League in his second season, behind Manchester City.
However, he was sacked in December 2018 after a series of disappointing results and performances, as well as conflicts with some players and the board.
He then joined Tottenham Hotspur in 2019, leading the team to sixth place in the Premier League in his first season.
He also reached the League Cup final in his second season but was sacked in April 2021, just days before the final, due to poor results and a loss of confidence from players and fans. He then joined Roma in 2021 and is currently the head coach of the Italian club.
Net worth
José Mourinho is one of the highest paid and most successful football managers. His contracts, sponsorship deals and media appearances have earned him millions of dollars.
He has also invested in various businesses and real estate. According to Celebrity Net Worth, his estimated net worth is $50 million.
Argumentative
José Mourinho is no stranger to controversy and has been involved in many incidents and scandals. Some of the most notable include:
- His feud with Arsène Wenger, the former Arsenal manager, whom he called a “people who like to watch sexually related images” and is an “expert in failure”.
- He glared at Tito Vilanova, Barcelona’s former assistant coach, during a brawl between the two teams in 2011.
- He criticised Cristiano Ronaldo, his former player at Real Madrid, whom he accused of being selfish and individualistic.
- He spat at Paul Pogba, his former player at Manchester United, whom he stripped of the vice-captaincy, and had a heated argument in training.
- His involvement in “Football LeaksThe scandal revealed that he had evaded tax in Spain and Portugal using offshore companies.
- He opposed the European Super League, a proposed breakaway tournament involving 12 of Europe’s biggest clubs, including his former clubs Chelsea, Inter Milan and Real Madrid.
Social media
- Instagram name: @josemourinho
- Twitter Username: @josemourinho
