Quinquangenerian José Mourinho

José Mourinho "The Special One"

José Mário dos Santos Mourinho Félix, or simply called José Mourinho born 26^th January 1963, exactly 50 years ago, is a Portuguese football manager.

Commonly called “The Special One”, Mourinho was born to parents José Manuel Mourinho Felix and Maria Júlia Carrajola dos Santos, a professional footballer and a primary school teacher respectively.

Because of the sports orientation he was accustomed to he dropped out on the first day of enrollment by his mother in a business school and chose to focus on sports without looking back. He attended the Instituto Superior de Educação Física (ISEF), Technical University of Lisbon, to study sport science. He taught physical education at several institutions, earned a diploma and received complementary and rave reviews throughout the course. He had a profound attention to detail and envisioned defining the coach’s role in football by combining coaching theory with motivational and psychological techniques. 

His first port of call in football management was Vitória de Setúbal in the 1990s then moved to greater challenges to work as a translator to Sir Bobby Robson, then at Sporting Clube de Portugal, where “The Special One” cut his coaching teeth and later followed Robson to FC Porto and FC Barcelona where he continued coaching and interpreting for players.

Mourinho went on to coach Porto, Chelsea, Internazionale and currently Real Madrid where he won the Primeira Liga (2), Taça de Portugal (1), Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira (1), UEFA Champions League (1), UEFA Cup (1); Premier League (2), FA Cup (1), Football League Cup (2), FA Community Shield (1); Serie A (2), Coppa Italia (1), Supercoppa Italiana (1), UEFA Champions League (1) and La Liga (1), Copa del Rey (1), Supercopa de España (1) respectively.

Mourinho so much enjoyed his stay at Chelsea where he was hired by billionaire Roman Abramovich but big egos strained that relationship. He has often nursed the ambition to return to the League he refers to as the best League in the world.

We wish Jóse a very happy 50^th Birthday. Hip Hip Hurray!!!