To bear the name 'Special' in a sport known as football is something worth talking about. Being the manager of any football institution in the world is one of the most difficult aspect of footballing. This is because the manager will have to do whatever he can to manage and co-ordinate with the players at his disposal and the staff around the football institution.
After all, he has to make sure he eludes all critics even if there are stern expression towards him. This has clearly being duplicated literally by a noble Portuguese man in footballing managerials.
José Mourinho is the manager this article will illustrate; his achievements in football. Some words he has said that has proven to be true by him will be illustrated in this article and his football managerial life will be talked about.
José Mario dos Santos Mourinho Felix is a Portuguese professional football manager and a former central midfielder for the portuguese club Rio Ave in 1980.
He was born on January 26, 1963 in Setubal, Portugal. Mourinho is married to Matilde Faria since 1989 and the father of Matilde Mourinho and José Mario Mourinho Jr.
José Mourinho never made it big in football so he studied at the Technical University of Lisbon and holds the coaching licence as UEFA Pro Licence with a preferred tactical formation of 4-2-3-1.
After winning the UEFA Cup and the UEFA Champions League with FC Porto; he said in his first press conference as a Chelsea manager that "Please don't call me arrogant, but I'm an European Champion and I think I'm a Special One" he added. This is why Mourinho is addressed as the Special One worldwide.
José Mourinho commenced his coaching career at the youth team in his hometown at Vitoria de Setubal. In the 1987/88 season, he managed the Setubal U-17 side and promoted in the next year to the Setubal U-19 team in the 1989/1990. He caught the eye of the CF Estrela administration and was appointed as the assistant manager in the 1990/91 season, then became a scout at Ovarense in 1992.
The Englishman Sir Bobby Robson was appointed as the manager of the Lisbon club Sporting CP and due to language barrier he needed a local person as his translator. He appointed Mourinho as his interpreter in the 1993/94 season. Sir Robson saw the coaching qualities of Mourinho and appointed him as his assistant manager in the same season.
Sir Robson had confidence in Mourinho and sent him to FC Porto as his assistant manager in the 1994/95,1995/96.
Sir Robson completed the hat trick with Mourinho as both of them moved to the Spanish giant FC Barcelona in 1996/97 season. The Englishman loved attacking style as Mourinho loved defensive style and they both complemented very well and won the European Winners' Cup as Sir Robson left but Mourinho stayed.
Louis van Gaal succeed Sir Robson as head coach and won two La Liga titles in his first two years with Mourinho as his assistant . The qualities of Mourinho prevailed as he was made to take charge of the FC Barcelona B team and manage the first team in cup matches like Copa Catalunya which he won in 2000.
Josè Mourinho's exploitation caught the eye of the clubs in his country as he won appointed to manage the first team at SL Benfica in 2000.
He then moved to UD Leiria in the 2001/02 season.
After great experience, he moved back to FC Porto ; this time as a manager as he dominated Portugal's first tier in his first two seasons winning the Primeira Liga twice, the Taca de Portugal, Super Taca Cândido de Oliveira, the UEFA cup in the 2002/03 season and finally the Champions League in 2003/04 season as he attracted elite clubs to his radar.
In 2004, Abramovich who was then the owner of Chelsea FC appointed Mourinho. He became the head coach from 2004 to 2007/08 season. He won the EPL title in his first two seasons same as the EFL cup and The FA Community Shield in 2005. Mourinho won the FA Cup in the 2006/07 season.
He was appointed by Roman Abramovich in 2013-2015 after he left Chelsea in 2008. In his second reign, he won the Premiership title in the 2014/15 and the EFL in the same year.
After Josè Mourinho's first reign at Chelsea, he signed for Inter Milan in Italy where he covered himself with trophies again. He won the Serie A title in his first two seasons that is; in the 2008/09 season,the Super Coppa Italiana in 2008,the Coppa Italia in 2009/10 and finally the pinnacle of European football the UEFA Champions League which is his second UCL title.
Josè Mourinho extreme coaching glorious appealed to the hierarchy of Real Madrid as he moved to the next step; to the Spanish giant where he amassed trophies which includes the Copa del Rey in the 2010/11 season, attaining a record league season in 2011/12 where he won the La Liga with 100 points, 121 goals 32 wins overall with 16 away wins; a record in La Liga . He ended his reign at Madrid with the Spanish Super Cup in 2012
Mourinho moved to the north after his time at Chelsea (2013-2015) in 2016 to Manchester United. He was appointed as a manager in 2016. He won the FA Community Shield in 2016, the EFL cup in 2016/17 season and the UEFA Europa League in the same year.
Fans and board at Manchester United did not adore Mourinho in the 2017/18 season. Manchester United finished the season on the second position; 19 points behind city rivals who won the title and the FA Cup runners' up which made Mourinho exit the Manchester based club.
After Mourinho left United, he did not leave the shores of English football as he traveled down south to London but this time to Tottenham Hotspur in North London in 2019. José Mourinho wanted to imitate his style at Spurs and that nearly happened as he took them to the Carabao Cup finals as his contract ripped up due to poor results in the league. He suggested that "he was hurt by his exit at Spurs".
José Mourinho left London to the seven hills of Rome to where his current club is to manage AS Roma in 2021 .
In the previous season before Mourinho took over , AS Roma completed the league in 7th position with 62 points and +10 Goal Difference (GD) which the club qualified for the UEFA Europa Conference League .
In 2021/22 season, Mourinho placed 6th with 63 points and +16GD in Series A where he won the maiden edition of the Conference League. AS Roma's first European title since 1960/61 where they won the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup. Mourinho said "I think Roma can finish fourth next season" but that didn't happen as they finished on 6th with 63 points which they qualified for the Europa League due to the Conference League win where they eventually lost the final on penalties against Sevilla.
Mourinho has been criticized mainly for his style of play towards cup and European finals but he replies that "finals are not played but rather they are won".
José Mourinho have been to six European finals won five; twice in the UCL with FC Porto in 2003/04 season and Inter Milan in 2009/10 season, two time UEFA Cup or Europa League with FC Porto in 2002/03 and 2016/17 respectively and Conference League with AS Roma in 2021/22 season and has lost just once in the Europa League with AS Roma against Sevilla in 2022/23 season. He is the first manager to have won all three European trophies.
A lot of world records have been set by Mourinho; can he add more to his succes and cabinet?... Time will tell.
By Daniel Okyere
