Jose Mourinho cars

Why is He famous

Some call him arrogant, others call him confident. Either way, Jose Mourinho spews enough brash comments and has enough swagger to secure a spot in the spotlight. He doesn't just talk the talk, though; he's done his share of walking, managing FC Porto to the top of the Champions League in 2004 and, in a more profiled job, leading Chelsea to their first English Premiership title in 50 years, in 2005.

The ‘special one’ in his special Ferrari 599. Inter Milan and former Chelsea manager, Jose Mourinho behind the wheel of his two-seater sports car.

Jose Mourinho Biography

Jose Mario dos Santos Mourinho Felix was born on January 26, 1963, in Setubal, Portugal. Soccer (or football, as it's known in most of the world) ran through his family's bloodlines as his father was renowned Portuguese goalkeeper Felix Mourinho. Jose never excelled as a professional player and his mother tried to guide his interests in other directions by enrolling him into business school.

jose mourinho's early years

However, Jose Mourinho was adamant about proving that he could make a living in the soccer world, and so he quit business school on the second day and registered in a physical education college immediately after. He graduated with a degree in physical education, specializing in football methodology. Jose was married to a woman named Tami in 1989, and together they have a son, Jose Jr., and a daughter, Matilde.

jose mourinho with robson and van gaal

In the early '90s, Jose Mourinho was working low-profile trainer jobs until he got a major entryway to the soccer world when he was hired as a translator for acclaimed manager Bobby Robson. He went beyond his interpreter gig and became a helpful apprentice to Robson -- so much so that Robson made him an assistant manager. The two got along so well that Robson brought him along to FC Porto and then FC Barcelona.

Jose Mourinho watched and learned Robson's motivational skills, and absorbed preparation and defensive techniques from Louis van Gaal, Robson's successor at Barcelona.

In his biography, Jose Mourinho credits Dutch coach Louis van Gaal as a strong influence in his strategy; much of his own coaching style is based on the foundations that he learned from Van Gaal.

jose mourinho at benfica and ud leiria

In 2000, Jose Mourinho got his first head coaching gig at Benfica. Even though he was well-liked by the fans, a change in ownership shortened his stint there to only nine games.

In 2001-'02, Jose Mourinho became head coach of Uniao de Leiria, a run-of-the-mill squad. Leiria had never raised any eyebrows, so when the team finished fourth with their new coach at the helm, Jose Mourinho started to garner attention from the bigger teams in the SuperLiga.

jose mourinho with fc porto

Jose Mourinho finally got a four-star opportunity when FC Porto took a chance on the up-and-coming coach in January 2002.

There he was an immediate catalyst for success. After his first full season, he produced the league title, the Portuguese Cup and the UEFA Cup.

The bar was set so high in Mourinho's debut year that it seemed impossible for FC Porto to meet the same expectations in 2004. Yet not only did Porto meet the standard, they shattered it and set a new one. Porto won another league title and stormed their way to a Champions League Cup. As for disappointments, they lost the Portuguese Cup final, as well as a game to Real Madrid in the first group phase.

jose mourinho coaches chelsea

Two years of well-publicized success in Portugal meant that Jose Mourinho was now one of the soccer world's most sought-after coaches. He was finally in the coveted position of selecting his next job, and he picked deep-pocketed Chelsea of the English Premier League, a team hungry for results.

At first it took some time for the fans to grow accustomed to Jose Mourinho, a more serious, goal-oriented manager than the team's former leader, Claudio Ranieri.

Jose "Special One" Mourinho instilled his famous confidence and swagger into the team's players, and he eventually led Chelsea to their first English Premier League Championship in 50 years.

jose mourinho signs new contract

In May of 2005, Jose Mourinho signed a new five-year contract, taking him until 2010, which will replace his old three-year contract. With a salary reportedly worth 5 million pounds (about $9 million USD) per year -- before bonuses or commercial deals -- Jose Mourinho is the world's highest-paid soccer manager.

That is, until 2007, when, after differences between Jose and Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich were cited, Jose Mourinho abruptly left Chelsea. In total he won them six trophies in three years, making him one of Chelsea's most successful managers.

jose mourinho goes to inter

In June 2008, Jose Mourinho was offered a three-contract with Inter in Italy. It was a smart move, because that August, Jose Mourinho won his very first title, taking home the Italian Supercup.