Jose Mourinho Biography: Net Worth, Salary, Family, Lifestyle and Career Stats

Jose Mourinho is a Portuguese manager who is currently managing Fenerbahce in the Turkish Super Lig. The legendary manager is considered to be one the very best in the business. Mourinho is known as a serial winner as he lifted 26 trophies in his illustrious career.

His tactics, play style, in-game management, charisma and man management are all world-class and have defined an era. Jose Mourinho also has the notorious tag of falling out with players, losing the dressing room and touchline antiques. He is an ever-interesting character who always gives blockbuster press conferences especially when his team loses.

Mourinho burst onto the world scene when he won the Champions League in 2004. A move to Chelsea saw him establish himself as one of the best young managers in football. A treble with Inter Milan boosted that image. At Real Madrid, he won a league title against Pep Guardiola’s all-conquering side.

A league title with Chelsea was his last big success as a manager more than a decade ago. Ever since then, the Portuguese has been struggling to adapt to the fast-changing game and is currently coaching in Turkey with an eye on a return to Europe’s big leagues.

Very few managers are considered to be all-time greats. They either are world-class players who have already seen the highs of the game. Or they come from a country with a rich football heritage and with multiple world-class coaches prior to them. Sir Alex Ferguson was a world-class player who became a coach that tore record. Pep Guardiola too falls in the same category.

Jose Mourinho neither was a great player in his playing days nor comes from a football philosophy-rich country. But he has torn the script and stands amongst the greatest coaches of all time earning the “Special One” tag from the football community. Today let’s find out more about Jose Mourinho.  

Jose Mourinho Bio

Jose Mourinho’s Club Career

Mourinho was born and brought up in a wealthy family in the Portuguese town of Setubal. His father Felix was an ex-footballer and a coach. He shoehorned Mourinho into a defensive midfielder. Mourinho followed the footsteps of his father by graduating from Belenenses and joining Rio Ave. His father was the manager of Rio Ave but his debut was blocked due to the fear of nepotism accusations.

Hence both Mourinho and his father left for Belenenses. Mourinho was training with reserves and then joined lower league side Sesimbra. He then joined Comercio e Industria where he captained the side. At that level, Mourinho realised he lacked the requisite pace and power to continue football professionally and decided to retire at 24. He then put his focus on coaching.

Jose Mourinho’s International Career

Jose Mourinho with a lot of restraint cut his playing career short at the age of 24. He was struggling to establish himself as a proper player and felt that he was better suited to coaching. Hence he was never considered by the Portuguese national team. He could not emulate the feat of his father who was capped by the Portuguese team once.

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Jose Mourinho’s Coaching Career

Jose Mourinho always had the qualities of a coach from his youth. He used to scout opposition teams for his father who was managing him. He was always vocal in the dressing room and was a leader of the players. When he retired as a player, coaching was his obvious next move. He attended coaching courses held by the English Football Association and wanted to redefine coaching by mixing theory with motivational techniques.

After working as a physical education school teacher for some time, he became the youth team coach of his hometown club Vitoria de Setubal. He then had the chance to work with the great Bobby Robson as a translator and assistant. The duo embarked on a successful journey and won the league with Porto multiple times.

Robson was impressed with Mourinho’s defence-first approach and Mourinho learned his man-management skills from Robson. For the first time in a long time, Mourinho didn’t follow Robson as the English man left Barcelona after winning multiple trophies. Mourinho worked the incoming Louis van Gaal further boosting his coaching techniques. Van Gaal believed Mourinho was ready to coach on his own.

Benfica offered Jose Mourinho to coach for the first time on his own and allowed him to bring in Carlos Mozer as his number two. Mourinho won a huge game 3-0 against Sporting but then had to resign just 10 games later due to some boardroom politics. He then switched to Uniao de Lieria where his success grabbed Porto’s attention.

The switch to Porto in 2002 started a dream run for Jose Mourinho. Mourinho took over in January and went on a 15-game unbeaten run and promised they would be the champions in 2003. Mourinho did keep that promise as they hit a record 86-point tally, 11 points clear of Benfica in second. They also won Taca de Portugal and UEFA Cup in 2003 capping off a fine first full year.

The second full season was even sweeter as Mourinho not only won the league but also lifted the Champions League. The 4-4-2 used by Mourinho sent shock waves across Europe as they beat Monaco 3-0 in the finals. Porto also saw the back of Manchester United, Lyon and Deportivo La Coruna in their run to the finals.

A budding project was in the making in West London in 2004 and Roman Abramovic wanted Mourinho to be the face of it. The Portuguese couldn’t say no and hit the ground running in England and truth be said it was ground-shattering.

Mourinho called himself a special one in a media conference and that title rubbed on ever since. Mourinho won his first trophy in England after beating Liverpool 3-2 in a League Cup final. He taunted the opposition fans with a lip to his finger and had to be escorted from the touchline to avoid reactions.

His Chelsea side was rampant in the league and set up a points record with 95 points and conceded only 15 goals which is a record that’s unbroken to date. All of Mourinho’s big-money signings like Didier Drogba, Michael Essien, Tiago, Ricardo Carvalho and Paulo Ferreira played a huge role.

Mourinho then defended the title and won his fourth league title in style after condemning rivals Manchester United to a 3-0 loss in the league. He formed famous rivalries with Arsene Wenger and Sir Alexander Ferguson. Mourinho notably called Arsene Wenger a specialist in failure.

The tensions between Abramovich and Mourinho were growing as the famous Third Season Syndrome of Mourinho kicked in. It means Jose Mourinho falling out with the board or players in his third season at any club leading to an uneventful end. Mourinho then signed for Inter Milan in 2008.

Inter Milan won the league in 2009 in Mourinho’s first full season as he made use of Italian contingent in Mario Balotelli and Davide Santon. However, the home fans wanted success in the Champions League and Mourinho delivered just that.

Jose Mourinho signed Diego Milito, Wesley Sneijder, Thiago Motta and most importantly the capture of Samuel Eto’o on a swap deal. Eto’o was firing on all cylinders as they defended the Scudetto. Mourinho’s tactical brilliance gave them famous wins in the Champions League against Chelsea and Barcelona. Mourinho especially clashed with Barcelona fans as he claimed it was the most beautiful defeat of his life after they won the tie despite losing the game.

Few media outlets reported Mourinho was fit to become the next Madrid coach as Jose Mourinho bashed Barcelona fans and claimed they are “Anti-Madridisimo” more than anything. Ironically the wiritings came true as Mourinho made the switch later.

But before that, he wrapped up a second successive league title and a Coppa Italia title. The historic treble was completed when they beat Bayern Munich 2-0 in the finals. Mourinho became the first coach to win the biggest trophy in club football with two different clubs.

 Then he left for Madrid in what he called a dream move. Real Madrid despite boasting Galacticos was underperforming massively and needed Mourinho to spark life into them. Mourinho then signed Sami Khedira, Mesut Ozil, Ricardo Carvalho and Angel di Maria after splashing the cash.

An entertaining first season unfolded as Mourinho’s team was flowing on the breaks and defended ably. They lost the league to Barcelona after losing 5-0 in a Clasico and were eliminated by their arch-rivals from the Champions League. They had solace when they finally got the better in the Copa del Rey as Mourinho ended a three-year title drought.

The second season got even better as they won the league with 100 points and scored the most goals in a La Liga campaign with 121. Then the third season syndrome kicked in as Mourinho had rifts with Sergio Ramos, Iker Casillas and Cristiano Ronaldo. Following many media debacles and losses on the field, Mourinho left the club in 2013 after just signing an extension till 2016.

Mourinho returned to Chelsea immediately and promised them a league title. He delivered it in 2015 after signing Diego Costa, Cesc Fabregas and Thibaut Courtois. Once again in the following season, Mourinho left Chelsea on sour terms as their form nosedived after winning the Premier League. This marked the end of a spectacular league title-winning run from Jose Mourinho.

At Manchester United, he was touted to be Sir Alex Ferguson’s long-term successor. But constant fights with the players and management never made it easy for him. Mourinho was throwing players under the bus for not performing well. The fans did not like his brand of defensive football and the board wasn’t ready to back the manager.

Despite all the turbulence, Mourinho still delivered a Europa League title in 2017 and claimed that finishing second with Manchester United in 2018 was his biggest achievement. In another painful third season, he was sacked by the Red Devils.

In a shocking turn of events, Mourinho joined Tottenham Hotspur. It was a strange match and neither the manager nor the fans knew it was going to be a long-term project. Mourinho nonetheless unleashed Harry Kane in never seen before role as the English striker posted incredible numbers.

Just days before the League Cup final in 2021, Daniel Levy let Mourinho go from the club. It was the only instance where Mourinho has not won a trophy with a club in nearly 17 years.

Mourinho then returned to Serie A with Roma this time. It was at this time that Mourinho’s stock started falling. His attitude when the team loses and his inability to work on tighter budgets with lesser players became appalling. Despite the adversaries, Mourinho ended Roma’s 11-year trophy drought by lifting the UEFA Europa Conference League in 2022.

Another thrilling European finale awaited them in 2023 but Sevilla reigned supreme in the Europa League final on penalties. A disappointing showing in the league especially in his third season meant Mourinho was on the move again.

Jose Mourinho then had an offer from Turkey to rediscover his spark. Though he started the season well, they have lost form now and are not in title contention. Mourinho is in constant limelight for remarks on match officials and the owners for not backing him enough.

The manager was recently linked with a return to Serie A and Premier League with Everton. The time is still on his side for him to work around his deficiencies and lift another league title.

Jose Mourinho’s Tactics and Style of Play

Jose Mourinho as a coach is nothing short of a mastermind. He adapted several times over the years and has delivered excellently. His approach however needs several top-class players all over the pitch who could contribute incredibly well.

The trademark tactics that come to mind when one thinks of Mourinho is “Parking the Bus”. It means a team defending very deep in their half and all the midfielders joining the backline and even the wingers playing as full-backs to completely shutout the opposition attack. Mourinho’s team defend this way usually and springs on excellent counters on the other way.

One particular example of parking the bus was Inter’s 1-0 defeat to Barcelona away from home in 2010. The Italian champions elect went to Camp Nou with a 3-1 lead but Thiago Motta was dismissed in the 28^th minute. Mourinho then instructed his side to park the bus and defend for their lives against Barcelona. The Catalans could only score once as they couldn’t find a way past Jose Mourinho’s masterclass.

Mourinho’s sides are not only known for parking the bus. They can also defend from open play while being dominant on the ball as well. His Chelsea side have only conceded 15 times in the Premier League in 2004 to set up an all-time record that could possibly never be beaten. It tells how well Mourinho coaches his defences.

The other aspect of the game that makes Mourinho’s sides dangerous is incredible counterattacks. His sides press high and win the ball back to force a turnover. They have pacy wingers and expert strikers who could finish moves in the blink of an eye. At Inter Milan, Real Madrid and Manchester United Mourinho always had great counter-attacking teams.

Mourinho was known for these plays but he never was defined by them. He could play a back three with ease and get the result. He would field teams that completely dominate the opponent and outplay the opponent with free-flowing football. Or he could turn up to a game and walk away with three points without even having 20% possession. Such is his proficiency with multiple systems and roles.

Mourinho’s tactics and style of play always have some archetypical players. His striker should be strong and huge to hold the ball up, run the channels and finish clinically. His wingers should be full of energy, creativity and pressing.

The most important role is that of a midfielder who has to be a battering ram that wins duels and runs through the opposition with the ball at his feet. He also needs a commanding player in the backline to keep everyone alert and awake.

Harry Kane, Angel di Maria, Nemanja Matic, and John Terry are some of the world-class players who fit Mourinho’s archetypes. The lack of world-class quality at times hampers Mourinho’s teams and that is why he has struggled recently.

The manager needs to reinvent his philosophy to tweak it and find success again in the twilight of his long and epic career.

Jose Mourinho’s Achievements and Trophies

Jose Mourinho’s trophy cabinet is one to envy for any manager. For a player who has not had much success during his playing days, he overcompensated for it as a manager. Mourinho is regarded as a serial winner for his ability to win with multiple teams in multiple countries. No manager has transitioned like him smoothly from country to country and almost delivered instant results.

Mourinho is the first-ever manager to win Champions League titles with two clubs. His side has conceded the fewest goals in a Premier League season. He went 77 games unbeaten at home in the Premier League once. These are only a few of the achievements held by Jose Mourinho that could never be topped again.

On the trophy end, Mourinho lifted his first silverware in Portugal with Porto in 2003. After winning the league first, he did the league and Champions League double in 2004. Chelsea invested massive faith in him and he repaid it by winning back-to-back Premier League titles in his first two seasons in West London.

He then travelled to Italy and registered a historic treble in 2010 with Inter Milan. He followed it up with another title-winning season against Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona in 2012 with Real Madrid. The Special One however recorded his last league trophy with Chelsea back on a second spell in 2015.

Ever since then, he has won the UEFA Europa League in 2017 with Manchester United, the UEFA Europa Conference League in 2022 with Roma and some cups in England.

On a personal front, Mourinho was named the FIFA World Coach of the Year in 2010. He was also named the IFFHA World’s Best Club Coach in 2004,2005,2010 and 2012. UEFA named him as the manager of the Year for  2003 and 2004.

Jose Mourinho was named the Portuguese coach of the decade in 2015. He won the Manager of the Season thrice in England and twice in Italy. In 2022, the Italian Football Hall of Fame honoured Mourinho when they inducted him as a member.

Jose Mourinho’s Family

Jose Mourinho is an incredible family man. He has been a one-girl man throughout his life and loves his children more than anything in this world. Mourinho married his childhood sweetheart Matilde Faria in 1989 and has been with her faithfully ever since. He thanks his wife for standing by him while making key decisions.

The couple have two children from their wedlock. Their elder daughter Matilde Maria is a budding entrepreneur in London. She has her own sustainable award-winning jewellery chain in London and around the UK. Matilde married London-based real estate consultant Danny Graham in a lavish wedding that many called the wedding of the decade in Southern Europe.

Mourinho’s son Jose Mario Jr is an aspiring footballer and coach born in 2000. He was on the books at Fulham before being released as a free agent. Aged 24 now, Mario Jr is considering coaching and according to Mourinho, he might become a better coach than himself.

Mourinho has a tattoo of his wife’s nickname and their children’s names on his forearm as a tattoo.

Jose Mourinho’s Wife

Mourinho’s love story is a heartwarming tale. He met his wife Matilde Faria when they were just teenagers in Setubal. The two teens fell in love and the way they shared their love ever since is a beautiful story.

They were never seen apart from each other and tied the knot in 1989. The couple celebrated their 35^th wedding anniversary and are looking forward to many more. Mourinho always thanks the love of his life for making life easier for him and helping him in making huge decisions.

Mourinho in his own words said love is the basis to have a successful family. Rumours were flying around saying Mourinho was taking a break from his wife when he appeared on a few shows without his wedding ring. But the rumours were quickly bashed as he stepped out again with his beloved Tami (nickname of Matilde).

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Jose Mourinho’s Net Worth & Salary

Jose Mourinho is a serial winner. Having proven his capabilities multiple times, it is never a cheap affair with him. His brand demands bulky signing bonuses and huge salaries. The Portuguese tactician has signed multiple such contracts throughout his reign.

Mourinho earned his biggest paycheck at Manchester United when he used to draw £21 million a season. It was lucrative to bear and to even break the deal off as well. He was paid a whopping £22 million severance package when he was sacked by the club.

He came from modest salaries of the Portuguese League to the riches of the world. Mourinho’s net worth is estimated to be around £125 million. The manager does invest a fair share of it by putting it into lavish mansions in London and Portugal.

Currently, at Fenerbahce, he earns a salary of £8.8 million still putting him amongst one of the world’s top-earning coaches.