Jose Mourinho Childhood Story Plus Untold Biography Facts

Jose Mourinho Childhood Story Plus Untold Biography Facts

LifeBogger presents the Full Story of a Legendary Football Manager who is best known by the Nickname; ‘The Special One‘.

Our Jose Mourinho Childhood Story Plus Untold Biography Facts bring you a lot. This bio presents a full account of notable events from his childhood to the present.

The analysis of the Legendary Football Manager involves his life story before fame. Jose Mourinho’s family life and many OFF and ON-Pitch little-known facts about him.

Without a doubt, many regard Jose Mourinho as the most successful manager in the world. Also, he is the most hated football manager in the world.

Jose Mourinho Childhood Story – Early Life and Family Background:

The boyhood years of The Special One.
The boyhood years of The Special One who goes by the real name; Jose Mourinho.

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.

Jose was raised in a family of affluent backgrounds. 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.

Jose Mourinho Biography – 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 13 or 14, I became a manager and had to travel. José would always find a way to turn up wherever I was.

By coach or even fish transport truck, he would always be with me somehow for the weekend matches. He started to manage the ball boys.

He would position himself behind our bench. I’d give him instructions, which he would pass on to the players, running to the other side of the pitch to tell them. So he began very early to deal with tactics and systems of play…

Young Jose Mourinho and his father.
Young Jose Mourinho and his father.

When he was 15 or 16, he told me he wanted to be a manager. He started to watch the teams we were going to play and prepare reports, and that helped me a lot.

I remember when I was the manager at Uniao de Madeira, we went to play away in Amadora.

We needed at least a draw to reach the playoffs for a place in the top division of the Portuguese League.”

Jose Mourinho Bio – 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 as a footballer - Engagement in professional football.
Jose Mourinho as a footballer – Engagement in professional football.

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.

Jose Mourinho Biography Facts – 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.

Mourinho first showcased his coaching talent with brief successful managerial periods at Benfica and União de Leiria, taking the latter to their highest-ever league finish.

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.

After spells working as an assistant manager and a youth team coach, In 1992, Jose Mourinho saw himself merging jobs by becoming an interpreter for Sir Bobby Robson at Sporting Club Portugal.

When Robson went to Barcelona in 1996, Mourinho followed – learning Catalan and becoming an important part of the setup.

Jose Mourinho Early Years as a Translator.
Jose Mourinho’s Early Years as a Translator.

He also followed Bobby Robson to FC Porto in Dec 1993. The two developed a good working relationship with Jose Mourinho, learning from Bobby Robson and Robson increasingly trusting the ideas of the young Mourinho.

Jose Mourinho Bio – Barcelona Story:

Mourinho was also given responsibility for managing the Barcelona B team and Barcelona A for some cup competitions.

As an assistant manager, Jose coached some of the best players in the world, such as Rivaldo, Figo, Guardiola and Luis Enrique.

Evidence that Jose Mourinho coached Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima.
Evidence that Jose Mourinho coached Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima.

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.

Jose Mourinho coached Pep Guardiola while he was Barcelona's assistant manager.
Jose Mourinho coached Pep Guardiola while he was Barcelona’s assistant manager.

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.

Jose Mourinho Biography Facts – Early Coaching Days:

Mourinho returned to Porto in early 2002 as head coach, winning the Primeira Liga, Taça de Portugal, and UEFA Cup in 2003.

In the next season, Mourinho guided the team to victory in the Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira, to the top of the league for a second time, and won the highest honour in European club football, the UEFA Champions League.

Mourinho's UEFA Champions League Glory days at FC Porto.
Mourinho’s UEFA Champions League Glory days at FC Porto.

Mourinho moved to Chelsea the following year and won the Premier League title with a record 95 points, the club’s first league title in 50 years, and the League Cup in his first season.

Jose Mourinho Early Glory Days at Chelsea FC.
Jose Mourinho’s Early Glory Days at Chelsea FC.

In his second year, Chelsea retained the Premier League and in 2006–07 he took the club to an FA Cup and League Cup double.

Mourinho left Chelsea in September 2007, amidst reports of a rift with club owner Roman Abramovich. In 2008, Mourinho moved to Serie A club Inter Milan.

Jose Mourinho Biography – Post Chelsea Success:

Within three months, he had won his first Italian honour, the Supercoppa Italiana, and completed the season by winning the Serie A title.

In 2009–10, Inter became the first Italian club to win the treble of Serie A, Coppa Italia, and the UEFA Champions League; also, it was the first time Inter had won the latter competition since 1965.

He is one of only five coaches to have won the European Cup with two different teams, along with Ernst Happel, Ottmar Hitzfeld, Jupp Heynckes and Carlo Ancelotti. He won the first-ever FIFA World Coach of the Year Award in 2010.

Jose then signed with Real Madrid in 2010, winning the Copa del Rey in his first season. The following year, he won the La Liga and became the fifth coach, after Tomislav Ivić, Ernst Happel, Giovanni Trapattoni and Eric Gerets, to have won league titles in at least four different countries: Portugal, England, Italy and Spain.

After leaving Madrid in June 2013, Mourinho returned to England to manage Chelsea for a second spell, during which they won another league championship but was sacked on 17 December 2015 after a bad run of results left Chelsea just outside the relegation zone.

Following several months out of the game after losing his job at Chelsea for the second time, Mourinho was confirmed as the new manager of Manchester United on 27 May 2016.

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.

Mourinho, whilst dedicated to football, describes his family as the centre of his life and has noted 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, Jose Mourinho was named ‘Rockstar of the Year’ by the Spanish edition of Rolling Stone magazine and featured on the front cover of their December edition.

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.

The Mourinho Secret Affair Accusations.
The Mourinho Secret Affair Accusations.

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:

Mourinho tasted defeat outside of football in 2004. A book titled Jose Mourinho – Made in Portugal:

The Controversial book of Jose Mourinho.
The Controversial book of Jose Mourinho.

The Official Biography by Portuguese journalist Louis Lourenco, is a best-seller in the country, despite the Portuguese manager’s attempts to stop it from being published in the first place.

Our findings shows 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.

Jose Mourinho Biography Facts – 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.

Jose Mourinho, the Self Styled Charity Giver.
Jose Mourinho, the Self Styled Charity Giver.

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.

The Jose Mourinho Humanitarian Works for Africa
The Jose Mourinho Humanitarian Works for Africa

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.

Why Jose Mourinho's Dog (Leya) was arrested.
Why Jose Mourinho’s Dog (Leya) was arrested.

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.

Angry Chelsea Fans demand Leya's Release.
Angry Chelsea Fans demand Leya’s Release.

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

Jose Mourinho Religion:

Jose Mourinho's Religious Belief.
Jose Mourinho’s Religious Belief.

Mourinho is a devout Catholic by faith. He was raised as such (as is customary for Portuguese) and he credits his success in football to God and his faith:

I pray a lot and I am Catholic. Again, I believe in God and I try to be a good man. so god can have a bit of time to give me a hand when I need it’.

Mourinho is often the subject of controversy and (possibly false) media attention. It was once reported that upon his taking the managing position at Real Madrid, he sought the advice and blessing of some Kenyan witch doctors, to which his representatives replied:

‘José Mourinho is profoundly Catholic and he believes in God.

In matters that concern his professional life, he believes in hard work and not in the miracles of any old sorcerer’.

More on Jose Mourinho Religion Facts:

However, some might disagree that all Mourinho believes in is hard work. He is widely cited as being very controlling of the players on his team. Self-styled Portuguese has turned his hands to films where he gets to play the Pope.

Jose Mourinho to act as Pope Francis in Animated Movie.
Jose Mourinho to act as Pope Francis in Animated Movie.

The former Chelsea Boss has agreed on a deal to lend his voice to the character of Pope Francis in an animated film due for release in 2017 for the centenary of the apparition of the Virgin Mary in Fatima, Portugal.

Mourinho will be the voice of the Argentine pontiff in Portuguese, English, Spanish and Italian – “the languages of the countries where he (Mourinho) has already been a champion”, said the Portuguese production company Imaginew.

The use of Mourinho in the animated film “has already received the approval of the Vatican”, said the production company.

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.

How Jose Mourinho Family aided in Stadium Construction.
How Jose Mourinho Family Aided in Stadium Construction.

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:

Photo of Jose Mourinho and Daughter, Matilde.
Photo of Jose Mourinho and Daughter, Matilde.

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.

Jose Mourinho and Son, Jose Mario Mourinho Jr.
Jose Mourinho and Son, Jose Mario Mourinho Jr.

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.

Jose Mourinho Lifestyle:

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:

Publicly humiliated former Chelsea team doctor Eva Carneiro and club physio Jon Fearn, calling them ‘naive’ after they ran onto the pitch to treat an injured Eden Hazard

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.

Jose Mourinho's Fued with Eva Carneiro.
Jose Mourinho’s Fued with Eva Carneiro.

After leaving the club, she filed a sex discrimination claim against the Club and Mourinho, which, according to 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.

“It has been an extremely difficult and distressing time for me and my family and I now look forward to moving forward with my life,” she said.

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 has once joked that her husband has 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 Ex- Chelsea boss hit back, saying: “If she takes care of her husband’s diet, she will have less time to speak 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:

Photo of Jose Mourinho celebrating Steven Garrard's mistake.
Photo of Jose Mourinho celebrating Steven Garrard’s mistake.

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.

The War between Jose Mourinho and Arsene Wenger.
The War between Jose Mourinho and Arsene Wenger.

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.

Jose Mourinho- The Medal Throwing One.
Jose Mourinho- The Medal Throwing One.

Mourinho said that the ‘medal was for everybody’.

Appreciation Note and Fact Check:

LifeBogger says, “Thank you”… for taking your time to read Jose Mourinho’s Biography. Our team strives for accuracy and fairness in our continuous quest to deliver you the Biography of Football Managers, Elites and Classic Players.

Please reach out to LifeBogger (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. The Life stories of Ryan Mason, Massimiliano Allegri and Dean Smith would interest you.

Hi there! I am Hale Hendrix, a passionate football enthusiast and writer dedicated to uncovering the untold stories of footballers' childhood and biography. With a deep love for the beautiful game, I have spent countless hours researching and interviewing players to bring to light the lesser-known details of their lives.

2 COMMENTS

  1. Muito bom, Traça a vida de Mourinho desde criança. Boa leitura pois fiquei elucidado sobre a carreira de Jose Mourinho como um grande treinador

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