FACTBOX: Soccer-Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho

Jose Mourinho, named Real Madrid manager for a second spell on Thursday, is one of the most recognizable figures in world football. Known for his flamboyant style, frequent controversies, and trophy-laden career, Mourinho has managed some of Europe’s biggest clubs and left a lasting impact on the game.

Early Life

Born on January 26, 1963, in Setubal, Portugal, Mourinho played as a midfielder in Portuguese leagues but did not stand out before retiring at the age of 24 to pursue coaching. In 1992, he joined Sporting Lisbon as an interpreter for former England manager Bobby Robson and later Porto, eventually serving as Porto’s assistant coach from 1994 to 1996.

Coaching Career

Mourinho followed Robson to Barcelona in 1996, helping the club win the King’s Cup, Super Cup, and European Cup Winners’ Cup. He took his first full managerial role at Benfica in 2000 before moving to Porto in 2002, where he won the UEFA Cup and a domestic cup double in his first full season.

He became the first manager to win all three major UEFA club competitions: the Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League. Nicknamed “The Special One” during his first press conference as Chelsea manager in 2004, Mourinho famously declared, “Please don’t call me arrogant, but I’m a European champion and I think I’m a special one,” following Porto’s Champions League triumph.

As of 2026, Mourinho is one of only seven managers to win the UEFA Champions League with two different clubs. Throughout his career, he has claimed 26 trophies, ranking him as the seventh most successful manager of all time. His most recent title came in 2022, when he led AS Roma to victory in the inaugural Europa Conference League.

Controversies

Mourinho’s career has also been marked by high-profile controversies:

In 2005, he accused referee Anders Frisk of meeting with Barcelona manager Frank Rijkaard during halftime. The fallout led Frisk to retire after receiving death threats, with UEFA chairman Volker Roth calling Mourinho an “enemy of football.”

In the same year, he reportedly bypassed a UEFA touchline ban by hiding in a laundry basket to give a team talk before Chelsea’s Champions League quarter-final win over Bayern Munich.

During his first Real Madrid tenure, he received a two-match ban for poking Barcelona assistant coach Tito Vilanova in the eye.

In 2015, he labelled Chelsea doctor Eva Carneiro “impulsive and naive” after she treated an injured player mid-match. This led to her departure and a lawsuit for constructive dismissal and sex discrimination, later settled out of court.

In 2025, while managing Fenerbahce, he faced scrutiny for grabbing Galatasaray manager Okan Buruk’s nose after a derby match and was fined following comments about Turkish referees.

Clubs as Coach

2000: Benfica

2001–2002: Uniao de Leiria

2002–2004: Porto

2004–2007: Chelsea

2008–2010: Inter Milan

2010–2013: Real Madrid

2013–2015: Chelsea

2016–2018: Manchester United

2019–2021: Tottenham Hotspur

2021–2024: AS Roma

2024–2025: Fenerbahce

2025–2026: Benfica

2026: Real Madrid

Major Trophies

UEFA Champions League: 2003-04 (Porto), 2009-10 (Inter Milan)

English Champion: 2004-05, 2005-06, 2014-15 (Chelsea)

Spanish Champion: 2011-12 (Real Madrid)

Italian Champion: 2008-09, 2009-10 (Inter Milan)

UEFA Cup: 2002-03 (Porto)

Europa League: 2016-17 (Manchester United)

Conference League: 2021-22 (AS Roma)

Domestic cups and super cups across Portugal, England, Spain, and Italy

Individual Honors

World’s Best Club Coach: 2003 (Porto), 2004 (Chelsea), 2009 (Inter Milan), 2011 (Real Madrid)

FIFA World Coach of the Year: 2010 (Inter Milan)

Jose Mourinho’s return to Real Madrid marks another chapter in a career that has been as successful as it has been dramatic, combining tactical brilliance with unforgettable off-field moments.

-Compiled by Tommy Lund in Gdansk; edited by Clare Fallon/Reuters