Nicknamed ‘the Special One,’ José Mourinho is widely regarded as one of the best football managers in the world. He’s won a load of silverware in all the teams he’s coached across Portugal, England, Italy, and Spain. Thankfully for you, we’ve distilled Mourinho’s eleven best wins right here.
Porto, Champions League Title, 2004
A relatively unknown manager at the time, José Mourinho led his Porto side to the Champions League title in 2004 after beating Monaco 3-0. Along the way, he defeated Deportivo de La Coruña, Lyon, and Manchester United, the latter which witnessed Mourinho come of age as he ran to celebrate with his players in the game’s equalizer with 30 seconds left. The win over Manchester United signaled Mourinho’s intent to move to the Premier League.
Chelsea, Premier League Title 2004/05
In José Mourinho’s first press conference as coach of Chelsea in June 2004, he declared himself ‘the Special One’ given his early success at Porto. One wouldn’t be able to argue with the title — he won a bucket of at Chelsea as well. In his first season with the club, he won the Premier League by setting a then-record 95 points along with fewest goals scored against with 15.
Chelsea, Premier League Title 2005/06
After beating Manchester United 3-0 in the final game of the 2005-06 season, Chelsea retained their status as Premier League champions. Mourinho’s quick pressing style of play continued to win plaudits.
Chelsea, Premier League Title 2014-15
Upon returning to Stamford Bridge in 2013, José Mourinho gave himself a year to rebuild the squad. He first cleaned house by letting Juan Mata go to Manchester United, bringing in reinforcements Cesc Fàbregas, Diego Costa, and Thibaut Courtois. Consequently, Mourinho won his third Premier League title with the club, including a League Cup final victory against Tottenham Hotspur.
Inter Milan, Serie A Championship, 2008-09 season
After winning six trophies in three years at Chelsea, José Mourinho looked to repeat his success at Serie A side Inter Milan. He won both the Supercoppa Italiana and the Scudetto in his first season, the latter by 10 points. However, after bowing out of the Champions League with a defeat against Manchester United, some fans claimed Mourinho just picked up where his predecessor Roberto Mancini left off.
Inter Milan, Champions League Trophy 2010
With high expectations in his second year, Mourinho once again turned his doubters into believers. He won the historic Treble of the Scudetto, the Coppa Italia, capped off with the Champions League trophy by beating his former boss Louis van Gaal of Bayern Munich.
Real Madrid, Copa Del Rey 2011
In his first year as manager for Real Madrid, Mourinho defeated arch-rivals Barcelona 1-0 to win the team’s first La Copa in nearly two decades. However, Los Blancos lost to Barcelona in the Champions League semi-finals.
Real Madrid, La Liga 2012
In what was José Mourinho’s main achievement during his tenure at Real Madrid, he won La Liga in the 2011-2012 season. The team finished above Barcelona by nine points, a remarkable feat considering Guardiola’s Barcelona squad was arguably one of the best all-time.
Manchester United, Europa League 2017
In his first year as coach of Manchester United, the Portuguese manager won the Europa League with a two-nil victory over Ajax. It was Mourinho’s second trophy at the club — he won the EFL Cup a few months earlier — making him the first United coach ever to win silverware in his first year.
Manchester United, 2nd place 2017-2018
The two best managers in the world, José Mourinho and Pepe Guardiola, reside in the same city of Manchester and compete with distinct football ideologies. Although Manchester United finished second to their crosstown rivals in the 2017-2018, getting anywhere near an intrepid 100-point City team must be considered an achievement.
Longest Football Unbeaten Home Run by a Manager (9 years)
In what is a remarkable statistic, Jose Mourinho set the longest unbeaten streak for matches played at home, totaling nine years. The record started in February 2002 with Porto and ended in February 2011 with Real Madrid.
Photo: Instagram/Josemourinho
