“Please don’t say I’m arrogant, because what I say is true. I am European champion, so I’m not…one of…of the bottle. I’m a…I think I’m a special one.”
These are the, often misquoted, words of Jose Mourinho as he addressed his first press conference with Chelsea back in 2004.
He was fresh off winning that year’s Champions League with unfancied Porto, had become the hottest property in football management, and was a marquee appointment for a Chelsea side desperate to turn Roman Abramovich’s millions into English and European domination.
The rest, as they say is history.
From humble beginnings in the sport, Mourinho was considered to lack the pace required to play professionally, he has gone on to become one of the game’s greats.
Mourinho’s grounding in coaching came alongside the great Bobby Robson. He worked with the Englishman at Sporting Lisbon, Porto and most famously Barcelona. Initially employed as translator, Mourinho would often talk tactics and his football brain sharpened rapidly.
His first taste of management came in 2000 when he became boss at Benfica, from here he moved to União de Leiria, before heading to Porto – the club that brought him to the attention of fans across Europe.
In his first full season, Mourinho guided them to league title success, along with European silverware in the form of the UEFA Cup. In 2003/04, he went one better.
Porto retained the Portuguese title, and went on to conquer Europe, winning the Champions League with a resounding 3-0 win over Monaco. This was following wins over Deportivo La Coruna, Lyon, and a famous victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford.
Special One: Porto are crowned kings of Europe
Now, he was the most in-demand manager in Europe, and Stamford Bridge beckoned.
The first of two spells at Chelsea, started in 2004, and it wasn’t long before he was proving his worth. The League Cup was their first piece of silverware under Mourinho. They then clinched their first league title in 50 years – setting a Premier League record for most points, and fewest goals conceded in the process.
They won it again the following season.
Champions: Mourinho won Chelsea’s first league title in 50 years
A cup double of League and FA Cups would follow in 2006/07 – it was a golden period in Chelsea’s history.
A second stint at the club from 2013-15 would yield another double, this time the League Cup and Premier League in 2014/15.
Mourinho would move to Italy in 2008 and take charge of Inter Milan. It was a familiar story.
The Italian Super Cup and Serie A title were landed in his first season.
2009/10 then produced a spectacular treble of the Serie A title, Copa Italia, and the Champions League – following a 2-0 final win over Bayern Munich.
Champions again: Mourinho wins the league with Inter Milan
Following his time in Italy, Mourinho would next find himself in one of the hottest managerial seats in world football, that of Real Madrid.
In two years with Los Blancos, more silverware would follow in the form of the Copa del Rey in 2010/11, the La Liga title in 2011/12, and the 2012 Spanish Super Cup.
After his second stint at Chelsea, we now come to the current day and Mourinho’s time at Manchester United.
So far he has claimed two major trophies in the League and UEFA Cup, further enhancing his credentials as a boss who delivers.
Hublot ambassador: The Manchester United manager proudly wears his timepiece
Away from the game Mourinho is a big family man, and a Hublot ambassador.
On his association with Hublot, Mourinho said: “First, I am a family man and then a football manager, but somewhere on the list of my many passions- I am a watch fanatic! I am honored to be part of a brand that upholds such similar values to me.”
