José Mourinho facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
José Mourinho

Mourinho with Roma in 2023
Personal information
Full name	José Mário dos Santos Mourinho Félix
Date of birth	(1963-01-26) 26 January 1963 (age 62)
Place of birth	Setúbal, Portugal
Height	1.79 m (5 ft 10+1⁄2 in)
Position(s)	Midfielder
Team information
Current team	Fenerbahçe (head coach)
Youth career
0000	Belenenses
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1980–1982	Rio Ave	0	(0)
1982–1983	Belenenses	0	(0)
1983–1985	Sesimbra	35	(1)
1985–1987	Comércio e Indústria	27	(8)
Total		62	(9)
Managerial career
2000	Benfica
2001–2002	União de Leiria
2002–2004	Porto
2004–2007	Chelsea
2008–2010	Inter Milan
2010–2013	Real Madrid
2013–2015	Chelsea
2016–2018	Manchester United
2019–2021	Tottenham Hotspur
2021–2024	Roma
2024–	Fenerbahçe
Signature
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

José Mourinho (born 26 January 1963) is a famous Portuguese football manager and former player. He is currently the head coach of the Turkish club Fenerbahçe. Many people think he is one of the greatest football managers ever.

Mourinho has won league titles in four different countries. He is also one of only six managers to win the Champions League with two different clubs. He is the only manager to have won all three of the current major UEFA club competitions.

After a short career as a player, Mourinho started coaching at age 24. He worked as an interpreter for Bobby Robson at Sporting CP and Porto. He then became a successful assistant coach at Barcelona. After short times managing Benfica and União de Leiria, Mourinho returned to Porto in 2002. There, he won two league titles, the Taça de Portugal, the UEFA Cup, and the Champions League.

His success led him to Chelsea in England in 2004. At his first press conference, he famously said, "I think I'm a special one." This led the media to call him "The Special One." With Chelsea, he won two Premier League titles, an FA Cup, and two League Cups in three seasons. He left Chelsea in 2007 due to disagreements with the owner.

In 2008, Mourinho joined Inter Milan in Italy. He led them to the Serie A title in his first season. In 2010, he won a treble of Serie A, the Coppa Italia, and the UEFA Champions League. This was the first time an Italian club had achieved this. He then became the first FIFA World Coach of the Year. Mourinho then moved to Real Madrid in Spain. He won the La Liga title in 2011–12, setting many records. He became the fifth coach to win league titles in four countries. Mourinho left Real Madrid in 2013 and rejoined Chelsea. He won another league title and League Cup but was later dismissed in 2015.

Mourinho managed Manchester United from 2016 to 2018 and Tottenham Hotspur from 2019 to 2021. He won the Europa League and League Cup with Manchester United. He was the manager of Roma between 2021 and 2024. In his first season, he won the inaugural UEFA Europa Conference League. This was Roma's first European title and first trophy since 2008. It made Mourinho the first manager to win a major European competition with four clubs. He is also the third manager to win all three UEFA club competitions. He then joined Fenerbahçe in 2024.

In 2015, the Portuguese Football Federation named Mourinho the Portuguese Coach of the Century. He is known for his smart tactics, strong personality, and focus on winning games.

Early Life and Education

José Mourinho was born in 1963 in Setúbal, Portugal. His father, Félix Mourinho, was a professional football player and later a manager. His mother was a primary school teacher.

Mourinho wanted to be a footballer like his father. He played for youth teams and then for smaller clubs in Portugal. He even scored a hat-trick in one game! However, he realized he wasn't fast or strong enough to be a top professional player. So, he decided to focus on becoming a football coach instead.

Learning to Coach Football

Mourinho studied physical education at university. He also took coaching courses in England and Scotland. During this time, former Scotland manager Andy Roxburgh noticed how driven and detailed Mourinho was. Mourinho wanted to change how coaches worked by mixing coaching ideas with ways to motivate players.

Coaching Career Beginnings

After leaving his job as a physical education teacher, Mourinho started coaching youth teams. In 1992, he got a big chance. Bobby Robson, a famous English coach, became manager of Sporting CP in Lisbon. Robson needed an English-speaking local coach to be his interpreter. Mourinho took the job.

Mourinho started talking about tactics and coaching with Robson. When Robson moved to Porto, Mourinho went with him. He continued to coach and interpret for players. The Porto team became very successful, winning the Portuguese championship and the Portuguese Cup.

In 1996, Robson and Mourinho moved to Barcelona. Mourinho became a very important part of the team's staff. He translated at press conferences, planned training, and helped players with tactics. Robson focused on attacking, while Mourinho worked on defense. Barcelona won the European Cup Winners' Cup and the Spanish Cup.

When Robson left Barcelona, Mourinho stayed as assistant manager. He worked with the new coach, Louis van Gaal. Van Gaal saw that Mourinho had the potential to be a great manager himself. He let Mourinho develop his own coaching style and even let him manage the Barcelona B team. Barcelona won the Spanish league twice with Van Gaal and Mourinho working together.

Managerial Career Highlights

Benfica and União de Leiria

Mourinho got his first chance to be a head coach in September 2000 at Benfica. He quickly became popular with the team and fans. However, after a change in club presidents, Mourinho asked for a longer contract. When the president refused, Mourinho resigned after only nine league games.

In July 2001, Mourinho found a new job managing União de Leiria. He led the team to a strong position in the league. His success at Leiria caught the attention of bigger Portuguese clubs.

Porto Success

In January 2002, Porto hired Mourinho. He promised to make Porto champions the next year. He brought in key players and built a strong team.

In 2003, Mourinho won his first league title with Porto. They finished 11 points ahead of Benfica. He also won the Portuguese Cup and the UEFA Cup.

The next season, Porto continued their success. They won the Portuguese Super Cup. In May 2004, Mourinho won an even bigger prize: the UEFA Champions League. Porto beat Monaco 3–0 in the final. This amazing win made Mourinho a top manager in Europe.

Chelsea: "The Special One"

On 2 June 2004, Mourinho moved to Chelsea in England. He was the first Portuguese manager in the Premier League. At his first press conference, he famously called himself "The Special One." He brought many of his coaching staff from Porto. Chelsea spent a lot of money on new players like Didier Drogba and Ricardo Carvalho.

Winning Trophies in England

Under Mourinho, Chelsea became a very strong team. They won the League Cup in February 2005. Chelsea then won their first English league title in 50 years, setting new records for most points (95) and fewest goals conceded (15).

The next season, Chelsea won the 2005 FA Community Shield and their second straight Premier League title. Mourinho won his fourth league title in a row across different clubs.

The 2006–07 season saw Chelsea win the League Cup again. Mourinho also led Chelsea to a 1–0 victory against Manchester United in the 2007 FA Cup Final. This was his first FA Cup win, meaning he had won every major domestic trophy in England.

Mourinho left Chelsea on 20 September 2007. He had won six trophies for the club in three years and was unbeaten in all home league games.

Inter Milan: The Treble

On 2 June 2008, Mourinho became the manager of Inter Milan in Italy. He quickly learned Italian and brought his coaching staff with him.

First Serie A Title

In his first season, Mourinho won the Italian Super Cup and the Serie A title. Inter finished 10 points clear of their rivals.

Historic Treble Season

In his second season, Mourinho made some important signings like Diego Milito and Wesley Sneijder. Inter had a fantastic season. On 6 April 2010, Mourinho became the first manager to take three different teams to the Champions League semi-finals.

On 28 April 2010, Inter beat Barcelona to reach the Champions League final. This was Inter's first final in 38 years. On 5 May 2010, Inter won the Italian Cup. On 16 May 2010, they won the Serie A title. Finally, on 22 May 2010, Inter won the Champions League by beating Bayern Munich 2–0. This made Inter the first Italian club to win the treble (league, cup, and Champions League) in one season. Mourinho celebrated his second Champions League title.

The day after winning the Champions League, Mourinho said he would likely leave Inter. He then joined Real Madrid.

Real Madrid: Breaking Records

On 31 May 2010, Mourinho became the new manager of Real Madrid in Spain. He signed a four-year contract. Real Madrid had not been performing well in recent years. Mourinho brought in new players like Mesut Özil and Ángel Di María.

First Season in Spain

On 20 April 2011, Mourinho won his first trophy in Spain. Real Madrid defeated their big rivals Barcelona 1–0 in the Spanish Cup final. This ended Real Madrid's 18-year wait for the Copa del Rey. It was also Real's first trophy since 2008.

Record-Breaking La Liga Title

On 21 April 2012, Real Madrid won 2–1 against Barcelona in El Clásico. This gave them a big lead in the league. Real Madrid also broke the record for most goals scored in the Spanish league with 109.

On 2 May 2012, Real Madrid won the La Liga title for the first time in four years. They set new records for most wins (32), most away wins (16), and most points (100) in a season. Real Madrid finished nine points ahead of Barcelona.

Final Season in Madrid

On 22 May 2012, Mourinho signed a new contract with Real Madrid until 2016. He won the Spanish Super Cup against Barcelona. This meant Mourinho had won every domestic title available in Spain within two years. He became the only coach to win the national super cups in four different European countries.

Mourinho left Real Madrid at the end of the 2012–13 season.

Return to Chelsea

On 3 June 2013, Chelsea announced that Mourinho would return as manager for a second time. He signed a four-year contract.

Winning a Third Premier League Title

Mourinho's first game back at Chelsea was a 2–0 win against Hull City. On 19 April 2014, he suffered his first ever home league defeat as Chelsea manager. Chelsea finished third in the 2013–14 Premier League.

On 1 March 2015, Chelsea defeated Tottenham Hotspur 2–0 in the League Cup final. This was their first trophy of the season and Mourinho's first since returning to Chelsea. On 3 May 2015, Chelsea won the Premier League title with three games left to play. Mourinho was named Premier League Manager of the Season.

Second Departure from Chelsea

Chelsea had a difficult start to the 2015–16 season. On 17 December 2015, Chelsea announced that Mourinho had left the club. He was still seen as a very important figure at Chelsea.

Manchester United

On 27 May 2016, Mourinho signed a three-year contract with Manchester United. On 7 August 2016, he won his first trophy with United, the FA Community Shield.

On 26 October 2016, Mourinho won his second Manchester derby against Pep Guardiola's Manchester City. On 29 January 2017, United reached the EFL Cup final. Manchester United won the EFL Cup Final 3–2 against Southampton. He became the first United manager to win a major trophy in his first season.

On 24 May 2017, Manchester United won the Europa League by beating Ajax 2–0. This was Mourinho's second major trophy in his first season at United. He had now won every major European Cup final as a manager.

Later Seasons at United

Mourinho strengthened his team in 2017. Manchester United finished second in the league, their best result in five years. However, they lost the 2018 FA Cup Final to Chelsea.

After a difficult start to the 2018–19 season, Mourinho was sacked by the club on 18 December 2018.

Tottenham Hotspur

On 20 November 2019, Mourinho was appointed manager of Tottenham Hotspur.

On 23 November 2019, Mourinho won his first match with Tottenham. He finished his first season with Tottenham in sixth place in the Premier League.

On 4 October 2020, Mourinho's Tottenham beat his former club Manchester United 6–1. On 6 December 2020, a 2–0 win over Arsenal put Tottenham at the top of the Premier League.

On 19 April 2021, Mourinho was sacked by Tottenham Hotspur. This was the first time he had left a club without winning a trophy since 2002.

Roma: European Glory

On 4 May 2021, Mourinho became the head coach of Roma in Italy.

Ending Roma's Trophy Drought

Mourinho made some important signings for Roma, including Tammy Abraham. On 19 August 2021, he managed his first match with Roma, a 2–1 win in the UEFA Europa Conference League. On 12 September 2021, Mourinho reached 1,000 games as a manager.

On 5 May 2022, Mourinho led Roma to their first European final since 1991. This made him the first manager to reach the final of all three current major European competitions. On 24 May, Mourinho won his first title with Roma by defeating Feyenoord in the 2022 UEFA Europa Conference League Final. This was Roma's first trophy in 11 years. It also made Mourinho the third manager to have won all three existing major European trophies.

Back-to-Back European Finals

In his second season, Roma signed players like Paulo Dybala. On 18 May 2023, Mourinho guided Roma to their second straight European final, beating Bayer Leverkusen. This repeated his achievement at Porto of reaching back-to-back European finals.

In the Europa League final on May 31, Roma faced Sevilla. Roma lost 4–2 on penalties after a 1–1 draw. This was Mourinho's first loss in a European final. He gave his runner-up medal to a young Roma supporter.

On 16 January 2024, Roma announced they had parted ways with Mourinho.

Fenerbahçe

On 1 June 2024, the Turkish club Fenerbahçe confirmed they were talking to Mourinho. The next day, he was officially introduced as the club's new manager.

Manager Profile

Tactics and Style

Mourinho is known for his smart tactics and how well he manages games. His teams are usually very good at defending and quickly moving the ball forward. He often uses many central midfielders to control the middle of the field.

At Porto, he used a 4–4–2 formation that helped them control the midfield. His teams were also known for being very fit and pressing opponents high up the field.

At Chelsea, he used a 4–3–3 formation. This gave Chelsea an advantage in midfield against many English teams. This helped Chelsea win Premier League titles.

At Inter, he used a 4–2–3–1 formation which helped them win the treble. At Real Madrid, he used a flexible 4–2–3–1 formation. This allowed for fast counter-attacks, with players like Cristiano Ronaldo and Ángel Di María attacking quickly. Real Madrid broke many records in the 2011–12 season.

Mourinho is also praised for reacting quickly during games. He is known for always knowing a lot about his opponents and outsmarting other managers. He pays close attention to details and plans well.

Media and Public Life

Mourinho has also worked as a football analyst for TV. In 2019, he hosted a show called On the Touchline with José Mourinho. He also appeared in the Amazon Prime series All or Nothing: Tottenham Hotspur.

In October 2022, Mourinho's famous phrase "park the bus" was added to the Oxford English Dictionary. He used this phrase to describe a team playing very defensively.

Personal Life

Mourinho met his wife Matilde Faria when they were teenagers in Portugal. They married in 1989 and have two children, Matilde and José Mário Jr. Mourinho says his family is the most important thing in his life.

He has also been involved in charity work, helping youth projects and donating to Tsunami Relief. Since 2014, he has been a Global Ambassador for the United Nations' World Food Programme.

Mourinho is known for his strong personality and unique comments. He has appeared in advertisements for big brands like Samsung and Adidas.

Mourinho is a Roman Catholic. He has said that he prays every day and that his relationship with God is very important. Besides Portuguese, he speaks Spanish, Italian, French, Catalan, and English. In 2009, he received an honorary doctorate degree for his achievements in football.

Managerial Statistics

Managerial record by team and tenure

Team	From	To	Record								Ref.
			P	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Win %
Benfica	20 September 2000	5 December 2000	&&&&&&&&&&&&&011.&&&&&011	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&06.&&&&&06	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&03.&&&&&03	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&02.&&&&&02	&&&&&&&&&&&&&017.&&&&&017	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&09.&&&&&09	+8	&&&&&&&&&&&&&054.55000054.55
União de Leiria	1 July 2001	23 January 2002	&&&&&&&&&&&&&023.&&&&&023	&&&&&&&&&&&&&012.&&&&&012	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&08.&&&&&08	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&03.&&&&&03	&&&&&&&&&&&&&034.&&&&&034	&&&&&&&&&&&&&020.&&&&&020	+14	&&&&&&&&&&&&&052.17000052.17
Porto	23 January 2002	2 June 2004	&&&&&&&&&&&&0127.&&&&&0127	&&&&&&&&&&&&&091.&&&&&091	&&&&&&&&&&&&&021.&&&&&021	&&&&&&&&&&&&&015.&&&&&015	&&&&&&&&&&&&0254.&&&&&0254	&&&&&&&&&&&&&096.&&&&&096	+158	&&&&&&&&&&&&&071.65000071.65
Chelsea	2 June 2004	20 September 2007	&&&&&&&&&&&&0185.&&&&&0185	&&&&&&&&&&&&0124.&&&&&0124	&&&&&&&&&&&&&040.&&&&&040	&&&&&&&&&&&&&021.&&&&&021	&&&&&&&&&&&&0330.&&&&&0330	&&&&&&&&&&&&0119.&&&&&0119	+211	&&&&&&&&&&&&&067.&3000067.03
Inter Milan	2 June 2008	28 May 2010	&&&&&&&&&&&&0108.&&&&&0108	&&&&&&&&&&&&&067.&&&&&067	&&&&&&&&&&&&&026.&&&&&026	&&&&&&&&&&&&&015.&&&&&015	&&&&&&&&&&&&0185.&&&&&0185	&&&&&&&&&&&&&094.&&&&&094	+91	&&&&&&&&&&&&&062.&4000062.04
Real Madrid	31 May 2010	1 June 2013	&&&&&&&&&&&&0178.&&&&&0178	&&&&&&&&&&&&0128.&&&&&0128	&&&&&&&&&&&&&028.&&&&&028	&&&&&&&&&&&&&022.&&&&&022	&&&&&&&&&&&&0475.&&&&&0475	&&&&&&&&&&&&0168.&&&&&0168	+307	&&&&&&&&&&&&&071.91000071.91
Chelsea	3 June 2013	17 December 2015	&&&&&&&&&&&&0136.&&&&&0136	&&&&&&&&&&&&&080.&&&&&080	&&&&&&&&&&&&&029.&&&&&029	&&&&&&&&&&&&&027.&&&&&027	&&&&&&&&&&&&0245.&&&&&0245	&&&&&&&&&&&&0121.&&&&&0121	+124	&&&&&&&&&&&&&058.82000058.82
Manchester United	27 May 2016	18 December 2018	&&&&&&&&&&&&0144.&&&&&0144	&&&&&&&&&&&&&084.&&&&&084	&&&&&&&&&&&&&032.&&&&&032	&&&&&&&&&&&&&028.&&&&&028	&&&&&&&&&&&&0244.&&&&&0244	&&&&&&&&&&&&0121.&&&&&0121	+123	&&&&&&&&&&&&&058.33000058.33
Tottenham Hotspur	20 November 2019	19 April 2021	&&&&&&&&&&&&&086.&&&&&086	&&&&&&&&&&&&&044.&&&&&044	&&&&&&&&&&&&&019.&&&&&019	&&&&&&&&&&&&&023.&&&&&023	&&&&&&&&&&&&0166.&&&&&0166	&&&&&&&&&&&&0103.&&&&&0103	+63	&&&&&&&&&&&&&051.16000051.16
Roma	1 July 2021	16 January 2024	&&&&&&&&&&&&0138.&&&&&0138	&&&&&&&&&&&&&068.&&&&&068	&&&&&&&&&&&&&031.&&&&&031	&&&&&&&&&&&&&039.&&&&&039	&&&&&&&&&&&&0213.&&&&&0213	&&&&&&&&&&&&0143.&&&&&0143	+70	&&&&&&&&&&&&&049.28000049.28
Fenerbahçe	2 June 2024	present	&&&&&&&&&&&&&031.&&&&&031	&&&&&&&&&&&&&019.&&&&&019	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&07.&&&&&07	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&05.&&&&&05	&&&&&&&&&&&&&067.&&&&&067	&&&&&&&&&&&&&034.&&&&&034	+33	&&&&&&&&&&&&&061.29000061.29
Total			&&&&&&&&&&&01164.&&&&&01,164	&&&&&&&&&&&&0720.&&&&&0720	&&&&&&&&&&&&0243.&&&&&0243	&&&&&&&&&&&&0201.&&&&&0201	&&&&&&&&&&&02230.&&&&&02,230	&&&&&&&&&&&01028.&&&&&01,028	+1202	&&&&&&&&&&&&&061.86000061.86

Honours

Assistant Manager

Porto

• Primeira Divisão: 1994–95, 1995–96
• Taça de Portugal: 1993–94
• Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira: 1994

Barcelona

• La Liga: 1997–98, 1998–99
• Copa del Rey: 1996–97, 1997–98
• Supercopa de España: 1996
• European Cup Winners' Cup: 1996–97
• UEFA Super Cup: 1997

Manager

Porto

• Primeira Liga: 2002–03, 2003–04
• Taça de Portugal: 2002–03
• Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira: 2003
• UEFA Champions League: 2003–04
• UEFA Cup: 2002–03

Chelsea

• Premier League: 2004–05, 2005–06, 2014–15
• FA Cup: 2006–07
• Football League Cup: 2004–05, 2006–07, 2014–15
• FA Community Shield: 2005

Inter Milan

• Serie A: 2008–09, 2009–10
• Coppa Italia: 2009–10
• Supercoppa Italiana: 2008
• UEFA Champions League: 2009–10

Real Madrid

• La Liga: 2011–12
• Copa del Rey: 2010–11
• Supercopa de España: 2012

Manchester United

• EFL Cup: 2016–17
• FA Community Shield: 2016
• UEFA Europa League: 2016–17

Roma

• UEFA Europa Conference League: 2021–22

Individual

• Onze d'Or Coach of the Year: 2005
• FIFA World Coach of the Year: 2010
• IFFHS World's Best Club Coach: 2004, 2005, 2010, 2012
• IFFHS World's Best Coach of the 21st Century 2001–2020
• Premier League Manager of the Season: 2004–05, 2005–06, 2014–15
• Premier League Manager of the Month: November 2004, January 2005, March 2007, November 2020
• Serie A Coach of the Year: 2008–09, 2009–10
• Serie A Coach of the Month: August 2022
• Panchina d'Oro: 2009–10
• Miguel Muñoz Trophy: 2010–11, 2011–12
• UEFA Manager of the Year: 2002–03, 2003–04
• UEFA Team of the Year: 2003, 2004, 2005, 2010
• World Soccer Magazine World Manager of the Year: 2004, 2005, 2010
• World Soccer 3rd Greatest Manager of All Time: 2013
• ESPN 9th Greatest Manager of All time: 2013
• France Football 13th Greatest Manager of All time: 2019
• BBC Sports Personality of the Year Coach Award: 2005
• La Gazzetta dello Sport Man of the Year: 2010
• International Sports Press Association Best Manager in the World: 2010
• Prémio Prestígio Fernando Soromenho: 2012
• Football Extravaganza's League of Legends (2011)
• Globe Soccer Awards Best Coach of the Year: 2012
• Globe Soccer Awards Best Media Attraction in Football: 2012
• Portuguese Coach of the Century: 2015
• PFA Portuguese Manager of the Year: 2017
• LMA Performances of the Week: 2 December 2017 (Arsenal 1–3 Man.Utd), 7 April 2018 (Man.City 2–3 Man.Utd)
• Italian Football Hall of Fame: 2022

Others

• Grand Officer of the Order of Prince Henry
• Doctor Honoris causa – for his accomplishments in football from Lisbon Technical University

Records

Guinness World Records

• Former record holder for most points achieved in a Premier League season (95 points)
• Youngest manager to reach 100 Champions League games (49 years 12 days)
• Most games unbeaten at home in the Premier League (77)
• Fewest goals conceded in a Premier League season (15 goals)
• Longest football unbeaten home run by a manager (9 years)

Others

• Most Champions League titles with different clubs (two)

See also

In Spanish: José Mourinho para niños

• "José and his Amazing Technicolor Overcoat"
• Special 1 TV
• José Arrogantio, a character based on Mourinho in comedy series Harry and Paul