10 facts about Jose Mourinho that you probably didn't know

Jose Mourinho – The Special OneJose Mourinho is widely regarded as one of the best managers in the game having led numerous top teams to national and European honours. He is also renowned for his acerbic and self-confident style.The Special One, as claimed by the man himself, is a unique character in world football and has a strong track record. From being cautioned by the police regarding an issue with his pet dog to quitting business school on Day 1, there are a number of facts about Mourinho that are not known by the world.Here are some interesting facts about Mourinho that you probably did not know.

#1 Jose Mourinho was offered Newcastle job in 2000

In 2004, Mourinho revealed that four years earlier he had turned down an offer from Sir Bobby Robson to be his assistant at Newcastle.

Mourinho said at the time, “Since Bobby suspected I wouldn't accept it, he told me it would only be for a year, two tops, and that at the end of that time I would be head coach and he club manager.”

The pair started working together In the early 1990s when he became an interpreter for Sir Bobby Robson at Sporting CP, Porto in Portugal, and Barcelona in Spain. He remained at the Catalan club working with Robson's successor Louis van Gaal.

“I didn't take him up on his offer, knowing sooner or later, my time would come,” Mourinho concluded.

Sure enough, he won the Champions League with Porto in 2004 and earned a contract with Chelsea, going on to win two league titles in his first stint.

#2 Mourinho once made it to the cover of Rolling Stone magazine

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.

The magazine talks about his defiance, impertinent wit and above all the provocative attitude on the bench and press conferences. It also features extensive reports about the Portuguese manager featuring interviews with old colleagues, journalists and close friends.

Mourinho has won Manager of the Year awards in Portugal, England and Italy. He also won the inaugural FIFA World Coach of the year in 2010. Earlier in 2005, he was also elected as the ‘New Statesman of the Year 2005’ and was described as a man devoted to both family and work.

#3 Mourinho attempted to stop a book on him being published

Mourinho tasted defeat outside football in 2004. A book titled Jose Mourinho - Made in Portugal: The Official Biography by Portuguese journalist Louis Lourenco, is a best-seller in the country, despite the Portugese manager's attempts to stop it from being published in the first place.

The book portrayed Mourinho's family and their fear towards him. However, he failed to stop its release and the book sold more than 15,000 copies.

The failure to stop the sale of the book was confirmed in court when the judge dismissed Mourinho's appeal against the release of the book and this added insult to injury for the Portuguese manager.

At the end of the case the judge said there was no clear basis for Mourinho's complaint and added, “The author acted within the limits of his profession as a journalist and writer acting correctly in the context of a free, democratic and pluralistic press, exercising his rights of freedom of expression and information.”

#4 Mourinho can speak six different languages

Mourinho was famously called the ‘translator’ during his time as an assistant at Barcelona. While he has gone on to become one of the most successful managers in recent times, some have refused to let the 'translator' tag go.

He speaks Portuguese, English, Spanish, Catalan, Italian and French. He has also hit out at people who still call him a translator.

He once said, “I think because I can speak five languages, it doesn't make me a translator. But it helps me, the fact that I can communicate.”

The Portuguese boss famously got his start helping Sir Bobby Robson with communication during his time at Barcelona. But Mourinho insists he isn't comfortable with the title, even if his fluency in multiple languages does help him in his line of work.

#5 Mourinho sneaked into the dressing room in a laundry bin for the team-talk

After being banned by UEFA for Chelsea's two-legged Champions League quarter-final against Bayern Munich in the 2004/05 season, it was claimed that Mourinho arrived at Stamford Bridge early and hid in the dressing room in order to give the pre-match and half-time team-talk, before then being wheeled out of the ground in a laundry basket in order to avoid being seen.

Mourinho had been barred from contact with his players during both legs of a quarter-final Champions League tie against Bayern Munich after being being punished for indiscretions in the previous round with FC Barcelona.

#6 Mourinho quit B-school on Day 1

Mourinho’s mother, Maria Julia, wanted him to become a businessman when it became clear he wasn't going to succeed as a professional footballer. And when he was 23 years old, she signed him up for a business school.

He quit after just one day. According to his mother, Mourinho did not suddenly become a perfectionist when he started coaching, having shown signs when he was very young of his desire for things to be neat and organised.

However, his mother has admitted in the controversial biography that their family relationship was not fully filled with joy.

#7 Mourinho worked as a PE teacher before becoming a manager

Before he became a coach, Mourinho was a PE teacher in Portugal. According to one of his former pupils, he was an immediate hit with the female students.

“Until he arrived, no girls ever wanted to do PE. But suddenly, nobody was asking for a doctor's sick note,” she recalled.

Mourinho spent five years as a PE teacher in various schools across Portugal and later moved on to pursue his dream of coaching a professional football club. The disappointment of not being able to establish a career as a player fuelled his motivation to become a top manager.

#8 Mourinho contributed to tsunami relief efforts

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.

The event was organised by four friends, including Michael Holland (son-in-law of film director Lord Attenborough), who lost his wife, daughter and mother in the Asian tsunami.

Other items to go under the hammer included a rare print of the original Stamford Bridge stadium signed by Mourinho and the squad.

#9 Mourinho has a doctorate to his name

In 2009, Mourinho received a doctorate from Lisbon's Technical University for his accomplishments in professional football. He had graduated from the university more than 20 years beforehand with a degree in physical education and sport.

The university said the tribute was in recognition of his professional success having led FC Porto to the 2003 UEFA Cup and 2004 Champions League titles before moving to Chelsea and winning back-to-back Premier League titles in 2004/05 and 2005/06.

The doctorate is one of 30 individual accolades won by Mourinho in his career as a manager across Europe.

#10 Police once cautioned Mourinho over his pet dog

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.

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.