From Interpreter to Iconic Boss: Mourinho’s Journey from Childhood

From a young age, football was deeply ingrained in José Mourinho’s life, though his parents had differing visions for his future. His mother, Maria Júlia Carrajola dos Santos, envisioned a path for him focused on academics, hoping he would follow in her father’s footsteps and become a successful businessman. In contrast, his father, a goalkeeper and later a coach, dreamed of José becoming a professional footballer. As Mourinho’s father began coaching, young José eagerly observed training sessions and learned the intricacies of scouting opposing teams.

By the age of 15 or 16, Mourinho had already set his sights on becoming a manager. He began analyzing rival teams and preparing detailed reports, which proved invaluable. His early involvement in football was just the beginning.

This biography delves into José Mourinho’s journey from his role as an interpreter for Sir Bobby Robson at Sporting CP to coaching legendary figures like Luis Enrique, the great Pep Guardiola, and Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima at Barcelona. It traces his remarkable achievements with FC Porto, Chelsea, and Inter Milan, among others. Now, let’s explore the full story of the Special One’s extraordinary career.

Jose Mourinho Childhood Story – Early Life and Family Background:

For Biography starters, José Mário dos Santos Félix Mourinho was born in Setúbal, Portugal. His date of birth is January 26, 1963. Mourinho was born to his father, Mr José Félix Mourinho. His Dad was a Professional Goalkeeper.

On the other hand, Jose Mourinho was born to his mother, Maria Júlia Carrajola dos Santos. His Mum was once a primary school teacher.

Mourinho was raised in an affluent family. In Jose Mourinho’s family, his mother, Maria Júlia Carrajola dos Santos, was the breadwinner.

Jose Mourinho’s Mum is from a wealthy football-loving family. She carved ways for Jose’s smooth upbringing.

Also, his dad’s smooth sail to what we termed a wonderful goalkeeping career. As a child, Jose had access to all the opportunities every young child would dream of.

Parental Dictatorship and Choice of Career:

From an early age, football was a major part of Mourinho’s life. However, there were mixed opinions about what his parents, particularly his mum, wanted for him.

Mourinho’s rich mother (Maria Júlia Carrajola dos Santos) was of a non-footballing view. That her son should focus entirely on education. Through that, he can become a successful businessman, just like her father, Mr dos Santos Snr.

On the other hand, Jose Mourinho’s Dad (a goalkeeper) had a different view. He wanted his son to become a professional footballer.

Jose Mourinho’s father didn’t spend much time with him in his childhood. This was because of his goalkeeping commitment. Back then, he travelled to Portugal’s capital ‘Porto’ and Lisbon.

By implication, Footballing commitments in Porto and Lisbon meant something. That Félix Mourinho was often separated from his son. However, the partial absence of Jose’s father didn’t kill his dreams.

However, this separation gave his mum, Maria Júlia Carrajola dos Santos, an opportunity. She had the opportunity to decide her son’s future. In a way, that made Jose suffer from her dictatorship lifestyle.

First, his mother enrolled him in a business school. In reaction, Jose Mourinho dropped out on his first day. The boy stood his ground and decided he would rather focus on sport.

After much deliberation, he chose to attend a school where he studied sports. Jose attended the Instituto Superior de Educação Física (ISEF). Otherwise known as the Technical University of Lisbon.

While there, he studied sports science. In case you didn’t know, Jose’s focus on sports science laid the foundations of what he is today.

Jose Mourinho Bio – Following the footsteps of his father:

Mourinho, even while on part-time studies, travelled to attend his father’s weekend matches.

When his father became a coach, Mourinho began observing training sessions and learned how to scout opposing teams. Jose Mourinho has always wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps.

His father, in a recent Pollemma write-up, has this to say;

“When he was around 13 or 14, I became a manager and had to travel frequently. José would always find a way to be wherever I was. Whether it was by coach or even a fish transport truck, he managed to be there for the weekend matches. He started by managing the ball boys and positioning himself behind our bench. I would give him instructions, and he would run to the other side of the pitch to relay them to the players. So even at a young age, he was already dealing with tactics and systems of play.”

When he was around 15 or 16, he expressed his ambition to become a manager. He began studying the teams we were set to play against and preparing reports, which proved incredibly helpful to me.

I recall when I was managing União de Madeira, we had an away match in Amadora. We needed at least a draw to qualify for the playoffs and secure a spot in the top division of the Portuguese League.

Football Career Story:

Mourinho joined C.F. Os Belenenses’ team after graduation from his studies. At that time, his father played football professionally for Os Belenenses and Vitória de Setúbal, earning one cap for Portugal in the course of his career.

Mourinho began following in his father’s footsteps through his involvement in professional football.

Thou he was a player and not a goalkeeper. He played in the Portuguese Second Division. Unfortunately, his engagement in professional football was filled with trials and tribulations.

Jose Mourinho made his first senior football appearance for Rio Ave in 1980. Here, Mourinho played as a Central Midfielder and made 16 league appearances – scoring two goals.

At 21 years of age, Mourinho moved to Sesimbra, where he made 35 league appearances and scored one goal. Another short stint led Mourinho to Comércio e Indústria, where he made 27 league appearances and scored eight goals.

Struggle to live up to his father’s legacy:

Mourinho’s involvement in professional football was short-leaved.  He had an early retirement after he was repeatedly criticized for lacking the requisite pace and power in the game.

Instead of continuing in agony, he chose to focus on becoming a football coach instead. His early retirement marked the end of a struggle to live up to his father’s legacy of playing at the international level.

Switching between Coaching and Translating Jobs:

Jose Mourinho began his coaching career by teaching physical education at various schools, and after five years, he earned his diploma, receiving consistently good marks throughout the course.

José Mourinho first demonstrated his coaching prowess during brief but impactful stints at Benfica and União de Leiria. At União de Leiria, he achieved the club’s highest-ever league finish, marking the beginning of his successful managerial career.

After this brief success, he pursued further training by attending extra coaching courses held by the English and Scottish Football Associations. His performance caught the watchful eyes of former Scotland manager Andy Roxburgh. He took note of the young Portuguese’s drive and attention to detail.

Later, Jose Mourinho sought to redefine the role of management in football by mixing coaching theory with the motivational and psychological techniques of language translations.

In 1992, after gaining experience as an assistant manager and youth team coach, José Mourinho combined roles by becoming an interpreter for Sir Bobby Robson at Sporting CP. When Robson moved to Barcelona in 1996, Mourinho followed, learning Catalan and establishing himself as a key member of the coaching staff.

He also joined Bobby Robson at FC Porto in December 1993. The two developed a strong working relationship, with Mourinho learning from Robson and Robson increasingly valuing Mourinho’s ideas.

Jose Mourinho Biography – Barcelona Story:

Mourinho also took on the role of managing Barcelona B and stepping in for some cup competitions with the senior Barcelona team. During his time as an assistant manager, he had the opportunity to work with top-tier players like Rivaldo, Figo, Guardiola, and Luis Enrique.

It is interesting to know that Jose Mourinho coached Pep Guardiola. He was still an assistant coach when Pep Guardiola was still a player for Barcelona.

When Robson left the club, Mourinho stayed on, working with Dutch coach Louis van Gaal for two successful years for Barcelona. At that time, the club had players like Rivaldo.

Early Coaching Days:

Mourinho returned to Porto in early 2002 as head coach, where he led the team to win the Primeira Liga, Taça de Portugal, and the UEFA Cup in 2003. The following season, he guided Porto to victory in the Portuguese Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira, clinched the league title again, and secured the UEFA Champions League, the highest honour in European club football. Did you know?… In Mourinho’s FC Porto team, Nuno Espírito Santo was among the goalkeepers.

The following year, Mourinho moved to Chelsea, where he won the Barclays Premier League title with a record 95 points, marking the club’s first league title in 50 years. He also secured the League Cup in his first season.

In his second year at Chelsea, Mourinho led the team against giants like Arsenal and Man United to retain the English Premier League title and, in the 2006–07 season, secured both the FA Cup and the League Cup, achieving a domestic double.

Mourinho left Chelsea in September 2007 following reports of a rift between him and the club owner, Roman Abramovich. The following year, he took over at Serie A club Inter Milan.

Post Chelsea Success:

Within three months of joining Inter Milan, José Mourinho clinched his first Italian trophy, the Supercoppa Italiana, and secured the Serie A title that season.

In the 2009–10 season, Mourinho led Inter Milan to a historic treble, winning the Serie A, Coppa Italia, and Champions League, marking the club’s first Champions League victory since 1965.

Mourinho is one of only five football bosses who have won the European Cup with two different clubs, joining the ranks of Ernst Happel, Ottmar Hitzfeld, Jupp Heynckes, and Carlo Ancelotti. He was also awarded the inaugural FIFA World Coach of the Year title in 2010.

In 2010, Mourinho took charge of Real Madrid, winning the historic Copa del Rey in his first season with the club and La Liga the following year. This accomplishment made him the fifth manager to win league titles in four different countries: Portugal, England, Italy, and Spain.

After leaving Real Madrid in June 2013, Mourinho returned to Chelsea, where he guided them to another Premier League title. However, he was dismissed on December 17, 2015, following a series of poor results that left Chelsea close to relegation.

After a brief period away from the game, Mourinho was named Manchester United manager on May 27, 2016. The rest of the Special One’s career story is history.

Jose Mourinho Family Life:

Jose Mourinho has been married since 1989. He married his Angolan teenage girlfriend Matilde “Tami” Faria. They started dating while as teenagers in Setúbal, Portugal. Her parents gave birth to her in Angola while working as humanitarian aid workers in the country.

Jose had to go for her because of her humble upbringing. Matilde is known to be respectful, submissive, self-effacing and, most importantly, meek. She spends much of her time rendering sustainable humanitarian services to Africa.

She is the reason for Jose Mourinho’s love for African footballers and his sustained charity work for Africans.

Their first child, daughter Matilde, was born in 1996, and they had their first son, José Mário, Jr. (who plays football for Fulham F.C. youth team), four years later.

While Mourinho is deeply committed to football, he describes his family as the centre of his life, emphasizing that “the most important thing is my family and being a good father.”

He was selected as the New Statesman Man of the Year in 2005 and was described as a man devoted to both his family and his work.

At the end of 2011, José Mourinho was named ‘Rockstar of the Year’ by the Spanish edition of Rolling Stone magazine and graced the cover of their December issue.

Jose Mourinho Affair Accusations:

Jose Mourinho was once accused of living with a stunning blonde mistress, Elsa Sousa, behind his wife’s back for two years.

According to the forum report, Mourinho met blonde Elsa while coaching the small-town team Leiria in his native Portugal. He took her with him to FC Porto, his first big job where the pair lived for eight months in a flat arranged by the club.

Mourinho even introduced her as his wife to FC Porto players and agents.  While he did that, his real wife Matilde stayed in their home town of Setabul with their daughter, also called Matilde and son Jose Junior.

The ex-Blues boss has been accused of showering her with gifts and telling her she was his one true love. The thoughts that she was coach Jose’s wife came to an abrupt end when the real Mrs Mourinho turned up. His wife Matilde, whom he married in 1989, had no idea he was living a double life.

Jose Mourinho Controversial Book:

In 2004, José Mourinho experienced defeat outside of football with the release of a book titled José Mourinho – Made in Portugal.

Portuguese journalist Luís Lourenço’s official biography of José Mourinho has become a bestseller in Portugal, despite Mourinho’s initial efforts to prevent its publication.

Our findings show that the book portrays Mourinho’s family and their fear towards him. The book praised his translating skills, which denote his ability to speak Portuguese, English, Spanish, Catalan, Italian and French.

Thou he has also hit out at people who still call him a mere translator who got a managerial role.

African Humanitarian Efforts:

Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho has once pleaded to the FA to donate to charity any football fines he is yet to pay in the case of future offences. Charity here means giving help to the deprived in Africa.

Rather than going to watch the 2014 World Cup in Brazil this summer, Mourinho spent time visiting hungry children and HIV patients in Ivory Coast. He was given the role of United Nations ambassador for the World Food Programme.

In 2005, Mourinho donated a jacket to be auctioned to help raise money for Tsunami Relief and other charities.

Organiser Marc Thompson revealed that one bidder paid €25,800 for Mourinho’s coat at the fundraiser held at Stamford Bridge. The auction of Mourinho’s ‘lucky’ jacket played a part in raising around £545,000 for the cause.

Mourinho’s wife is a keen humanitarian and has transverse across the world to help the less privileged in society in her bid to eradicate hunger. Jose Mourinho, his wife and the children had once travelled to the Ivory Coast to witness the level of poverty there.

Jose Mourinho Dog Arrest:

In 2007, Mourinho was issued a police caution after allegedly refusing to allow police to quarantine his pet dog, Leya.

Having rushed home from an awards ceremony following a tip-off from his wife, the then-Chelsea coach freed the animal from the hands of the health officials and encouraged it to run off down the street, according to eyewitnesses.

It is understood the official wanted to quarantine the dog, believing it had been taken abroad and then brought back to Britain without vaccinations.

Mourinho received a caution for obstructing the authorities from doing their job. His sweet little pet dog, Leya, was immediately arrested by the police.

Angry Chelsea fans, on their next match day, reacted by placing banners displaying ‘Jose’s Dog is Innocent’. They never relented in demanding the dog’s immediate release.

Their continued protest led to the authorities changing their minds and releasing a frightened Leya. 

Jose Mourinho Religion:

José Mourinho is a devout Catholic, raised in the faith as is common in Portugal. He attributes much of his success in football to his belief in God and his religious practices.

“I pray a lot, and I am Catholic,” he once said. “I believe in God and try to be a good man so that God can give me a hand when I need it.”

Despite his deep faith, Mourinho has often found himself at the centre of controversy and media speculation. One such incident occurred when it was rumoured that he had sought the advice of Kenyan witch doctors after taking the managerial position at Real Madrid. His representatives quickly dismissed the claim, asserting:

“José Mourinho is profoundly Catholic and believes in God. When it comes to his professional life, he believes in hard work, not in the miracles of some sorcerer.”

More on Jose Mourinho Religion Facts:

However, not everyone agrees that Mourinho’s success is solely due to hard work. He is often seen as a highly controlling figure when it comes to managing his players. Known for his self-confidence, the Portuguese coach has now ventured into the world of film, where he will take on the unique role of voicing Pope Francis in an upcoming animated movie.

The former Chelsea manager has agreed to voice Pope Francis in an animated film set to be released in 2017. The film will mark the centenary of the Virgin Mary’s apparition in Fatima, Portugal.

Mourinho will voice the Argentine pontiff in Portuguese, English, Spanish, and Italian—languages of the countries where he has previously been a champion, according to Portuguese production company ImagiNew.

The production company also confirmed that the Vatican has approved Mourinho’s involvement in the project.

Jose Mourinho Rich Family – The Stakes:

Mourinho’s extended family is highly enterprising and has stakes in professional football and the convention business. His mother’s family funded the construction of today’s Vitória de Setúbal football stadium in their home city in Portugal.

His uncle was the one who funded the construction of the Itória De Setubal football stadium in the early 70s. It was, however, observed that the fall of António de Oliveira Salazar’s Estado Novo regime in April 1974 impact negatively on his business as he lost much of his investment then.

Jose Mourinho Children:

Mourinho and his Daughter Matilde are the most popular in his family. She is well known in the social circuit in London, mingling with some of the world’s biggest stars, including One Direction’s Haran.

Jose Mourinho’s son aged was once signed a two-year scholarship with Fulham.

He is a goalkeeper and has played in the youth wing of Chelsea and Real Madrid, where his father once coached. Fulfilling what his father wasn’t able to do for his grandfather is his dream desire.

Jose Mourinho Tattoo Facts:

The Portuguese tactician got his first tattoo at the age of 50, and surprisingly, it has nothing to do with football.

Mourinho apparently paid £80 for the tattoo, which features the nicknames of his wife, Matilde Faria and his children.

He credits his success in football coaching to the support given to him by his family. The tattoo isn’t often visible to the public eye as the ink is on the arm he usually wears a watch on.

Lifestyle:

Once upon a time, he lived most of his life outside his personal home and stayed in hotels. Even Jose had complained about it for staying out of his family members all the time.

He has recently acquired a house worth £ 3.9 million castle located just outside the Welsh town of Ruthin, which is just an hour’s drive from Manchester.

The mansion looks like a hundred-year-old but, in reality, one of the youngest castles in Wales. It has exclusive underfloor heating and double glazing.

It has a lunge Welsh dragon, which breathes fire when vehicles enter the gate and brings out fires. The property is four times cheaper than Mourinho’s house situated in London.

Jose Mourinho has numerous car collections, among which are mostly manufactured by Audi, Porsche, Aston, Martin and Ferrier.

Jose Mourinho Biography Facts – Fued with Eva Carneiro:

Former Chelsea team doctor Eva Carneiro and club physio Jon Fearn faced public criticism when they were labeled as ‘naive’ after rushing onto the pitch to treat an injured Eden Hazard. Their actions drew negative attention, sparking a controversy over the incident.

This made the former Chelsea doctor, Eva Carneiro, tender her resignation from the club after the on-pitch outburst from Mourinho, 53, whom she claimed he called her a “daughter of a whore” in Portuguese.

After leaving the club, she filed a sex discrimination claim against the Club and Mourinho, which, according to the Mirror, was more than £1.2m. Before retirement, Eva was then banned from the first-team bench and demoted to working with the ladies’ team by Jose Mourinho.

Chelsea FC  and Jose Mourinho were pleased to settle the case and apologized “unreservedly to her and her family for the distress caused”.

Both parties agreed to the huge humiliating pay-off for the ex-club doctor minutes before she made explosive evidence against them go public.

Carneiro issued a statement of her own, expressing her relief at resolving the case in her own words.

“It has been an incredibly challenging and distressing time for both me and my family, and I am now looking forward to moving on with my life,”

As DailyMail reported, Jose Mourinho, at the end of the case, claimed Dr Carneiro had betrayed the club, ignored his instructions by treating Eden Hazard on the pitch and was so hungry for fame that she kept dreaming of sitting behind him on TV.

Jose Mourinho Rafa Benitez’s Wife:

Rafa Benitez’s wife once joked that her husband had spent his career clearing up the mess left by Jose Mourinho.

This was said after her husband was appointed by Real Madrid. It also comes after Benitez is seen to have taken charge of a third team which was formerly managed by Mourinho.

Jose Mourinho, however, delivered a devastating response to Rafa Benitez’s wife after she claimed the Real Madrid boss is always “tidying up his messes”. The former Chelsea boss responded by saying, “If she focuses on managing her husband’s diet, she’ll have less time to talk about me.”

Acting as a Fugitive:

Mourinho was allegedly smuggled into the Chelsea dressing room in a laundry basket during a European clash with Bayern Munich while he was serving a touchline ban.

The Antagonising One:

Celebrated Steven Gerrard’s late own goal in the 2005 Carling Cup final by running along the touchline in front of the Liverpool fans, making the ‘shush’ motion with his finger at his lips.

The Embarrassing One:

Clashes between Jose Mourinho and Arsene Wenger are among the most hotly-anticipated in the Premier League.

Jose Mourinho once called Arsene Wenger a ‘specialist in failure’ in February 2014. And the Arsenal boss branded the comments ‘embarrassing’ to both Chelsea and Mourinho.

The Medal-Throwing One:

Lobbed his English Premier League winners’ medal into the Chelsea crowd, and when he was given another one by the FA, he threw that to the supporters as well.

Mourinho said that the ‘medal was for everybody’.

Appreciation Note and Fact Check:

Thank you for taking the time to read José Mourinho’s biography. From being a football icon to now making his mark in Turkish football in 2024, Mourinho continues to showcase his legendary status in the world of soccer. Our team strives for accuracy and fairness in our continuous quest to deliver to you the biographies of football managers, elites, and classic players. Indeed, the Life stories of Unai Emery and Hansi Flick would interest you.

Please reach out to us (via comment) if you notice anything wrong in The Special One’s Bio. Don’t forget to stay tuned for more related Managerial Football Stories.