PORTO coach Jose Mourinho is one of Europe's leading young coaches, admired and pursued by clubs from Fenerbahce to Tottenham Hotspur, from Atletico Madrid to Paris St Germain.
But he has a lot to learn. And the first lesson is one that the English have learned the hard way down the centuries - don't upset feisty Celts!
Mourinho's mocking put-down of Sir Alex Ferguson following his side's 2-1 first leg win over Manchester United 13 days ago was not the first time he and his side has annoyed a British manager.
Martin O'Neill reacted angrily last season when Porto beat his Celtic side in the UEFA Cup final, utilising the same mix of technical ability and gamesmanship.
But Mourinho is a shrewd cookie. A former PE teacher, he only arrived in professional football as Bobby Robson's translator when the Newcastle boss was in charge at Sporting Lisbon and Porto in the early 90s.
Robson remains impressed by a man who soon made himself invaluable by alloying his natural intelligence to his knowledge of sport and communication skills.
"He learned fast, took notes, and was very clever," said Robson. "And he did a bit of coaching with the players, as well as scouting and match reports. He was first-class."
Invaluable
So invaluable was he that Robson took him to Barcelona when he moved to the Nou Camp in 1997, only to lose his job when the Englishman was moved upstairs to become general manager when Louis van Gaal took over.
By then, Mourinho had learned enough to strike out on his own - and he soon showed he would be pushed around by no-one. Nine games into his reign as Benfica boss, his team beat old rivals Sporting Lisbon 3-0 and he demanded an extension of his one-year contract to four years - and resigned when he was turned down.
He then took unfashionable Uniao Leiria to their highest-ever league placing of fifth, an achievement that saw Porto swoop for his services in January 2002.
When he took over, the Portuguese giants were in their lowest-ever league placing, and within 18 months they had won the domestic double and the UEFA Cup.
Like Sir Alex Ferguson, he is not afraid to ruffle feathers and disrespect reputations - the week before the first leg against United he dispatched star striker Benni McCarthy to train with the young reserves and dropped him to the bench after hearing the South African had broken a club curfew.
McCarthy's response was to score as a substitute and then demolish United with two goals.
With his side still unbeaten domestically in 25 games - their only defeats have been to European champions AC Milan in the Super Cup and to Real Madrid in the Champions League - it is little wonder that other clubs have come calling, offering Mourinho twice and thrice his current salary.
To his credit, Mourinho has refused the temptations - he said three English clubs, including Spurs, and three Italian clubs were among his suitors - because he wants to finish the job at Porto.
He now stands on the brink of his greatest triumph. Get through against United tonight, and there will be bigger clubs than Tottenham showing an interest.
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Mourinho has a great pedigree and isnt afraid to stand up against bigger opposition. Each club he has taken to has been an uphill challenge, I think Spurs would be ideal for him rather than a bigger club.
He's a good coach, can't dismiss that, its a fact. His record in Portugal is terrific, and winning the UEFA cup is a tremendous achievement for them. But he should stop talking about money, and how they a a team put together by little money. They don't need to spend much money to win that league, thats why they don't spend much. If Jose Mourinho comes to Europe a succeds, then he could be up for Fergie replacement. He keeps saying that we should win, and we will. He forgets that we have an away goal, 67,000 fans behind United, and Ronaldo, Ruud, Saha, Scholes, and Giggs.
Spurs are massive u ignorant fool
how poor is this article, absolutely no quotes from the man, anyone who saw the interview would tell you that he just said the truth- that Manchester Utd should beat Porto and they shouldn't have have to whinge, just get on and do the job.
how poor is this article, absolutely no quotes from the man, anyone who saw the interview would tell you that he just said the truth- that Manchester Utd should beat Porto and they shouldn't have have to whinge, just get on and do the job.
Being a spurs fan and reading this i cant help but wonder although the likes of man utd have done well where do people get there comments from it was clubs like spurs leading the way to such doubles and european cups before the like of man u he will be (if he does) coming to a club with great fan base and history and passion for the game and not glory hunters who follow on to a team who keep winning give it 2 years we will be up there i promise that.
Unlike others i have faith in my team and i support them through thick and thin we may not have the money like gooners and manure but at least we have spirit
regards
THFC.Fan
To the Spurs fan. You were a good team in the sixties, but so were we. When have you ever done anything in europe?? You are at best a cup team, these days.
I don't care how admired and pursued Jose Mourinho is. He's surely not fit to do up Walter Smith's shoelaces.
"To the Spurs fan. You were a good team in the sixties, but so were we. When have you ever done anything in europe?? You are at best a cup team, these days."
Typical ignorant plastic Man U Fan. We, Spurs, were the first English team to win a European trophy and no English team other than Liverpool has won more European trophies than us.
Here let you read for your self would a small team of done all this.
Football League Champions 1950-51, 1960-61.
F.A. Cup Winners 1900-01, 1920-21, 1960-61, 1961-62, 1966-67, 1980-81, 1981-82, 1990-91.
Football League Cup Winners 1970-71, 1972-73, 1998-99
European Cup-Winners' Cup Winners 1962-63.
UEFA Cup Winners 1971-72, 1983-84.
Football League Division Two Champions 1919-20, 1949-50.
Southern League Champions 1899-1900.
Western League Champions 1903-04.
London League Premier Division Champions 1902-03.
Football League South 'C' Division Champions 1939-40.
Football League South Champions 1943-44, 1944-45.
Southern District Charity Cup Winners 1901-02, 1904-05 (joint), 1906-07.
London Challenge Cup Winners 1910-11, 1928-29.
F.A.Charity Shield Winners 1920-21, 1951-52, 1961-62, 1962-63, 1967-68 (joint), 1981-82 (joint), 1991-92 (joint).
Dewar Shield Winners 1901-02, 1933-34, 1934-35.
Anglo-Italian League Cup-Winners 1971-72.
Norwich Charity Cup Winners 1919-20.
Norwich Hospital Charity Cup Winners 1946-47,
1949-50 (joint).
Ipswich Hospital Charity Cup Winners 1951-52 (joint).
Costa Del Sol Tournament Winners 1965, 1966.
Nolia Cup (Sweden) Winners 1977.
Japan Cup Winners 1979.
Sun International Challenge Trophy (Swaziland) Winners 1983.
Good luck tonight
THFC.Fan
To neil from london. You might have been the first team to win the doulble but have never won the european cup
Tottenham Fan- why are you listing all of your previous achievements from the last century?
If anything, it makes a further mockery of the current state of your club.
To the spurs fan-you`re really a sad,sad little boy living on past glories,probably in your bedroom,with your video of spurs greatest moments(not a long player).Please there are places you can go to to help cure yourself,and if all fails theres care in the community.
More trash from Stuart Brennan,it makes a change some other manager than SAF making a mockery of his opponents,so when is going to backfire on him? TONIGHT HOPEFULLY!
This is really funny a spurs fan a real life spurs fan.Quick call the RSPCA they`re an endangered species.
Can anyone just write (rubbish) and post it as an article (mr Brennan).
surely someone with an ounce of journalistic talent (i.e. a five year old) could post something factual or thought povoking.
To the Spurs fan-It really gets on my nerves when people call us Man Utd fans glory hunters. Just because our team is doing well, it doesn't mean that's why we support it. Most of us have probably supported the team since we were younger and through times when we haven't been at our best. I'm sure you wouldn't like it if Spurs got to the top of the premiership one day and people started calling you a glory hunter!It just seems to me that when people say that,its just because they're jelous!
Sir Mourinho, well he can be a Sir if Mr Ferguson is one.
It was sad for England , low class behaviour , if Mu United represents England and all its sirs.
Very very sad really.And this article proves it.
FC Porto has been so lucky that it gets on my nerves.
They have won dozens of matches in the last 15 minutes, they have won championships winning games 1 to nil in a row...
I'm Portuguese, I loved seeing Manchester lose, but I'm fed up with those northern snobbish... Portuguese.
"sir" Ferguson has a lot to learn.He must respect everybody.He must learn to loose and what is fairplay.Oporto gave a lesson to Manchester and could in the first match score more 2 or 3 goals.He should first look inside his team.How could aprove what Roy did to Baia ?The man is lunatic !
It is very funny to see what these people write. They fail to see what real football is. They only see colors and not the real thing. Porto is a team the plays with unity. The are a solid core team. A team that has many players that play individualy, is that a real team?? Porto has demonstrated
that they are a top team. " A TOP TEAM, NOT THE BEST TEAM" I am realistic when I talk about football. If my team deserves to loose I will be the first to say. Porto deserves the respect that they dont have, due to unrational football fans that are blind to see and admit to the truth. Jose Mourinho is a top coach. He has his onfield strategies, and his off-field psychology game. That is what makes a great coach. I am a blue and white fan, but I always wish the best to the other portuguese teams. It is times like these we have to support eachother. This is the way that our football is expossed. As the euro 2004 logo says" We Love Football" Lets show the world by putting our differences aside and support eachother.
Forca Benfica
Forca Porto
Viva Portugal!!
The site of Jose Mourinho dashing down the touchline last night reminded me of a certain Gary Neville (minus the V-signs and vile language)
at Goodison on Feb 7th.
Now I know why they call it the beautiful game!!!!
Maybe Mourinho has yet a lot to learn. But I think that Fergie has forgotten all he had learn. And we are better than MU. And we prooved it yesterday
Does anyone saw the first game in Oporto? Lucky United to get out with 2-1...so I really think that Porto's victory was trully deserved looking at both games! Long Live Mourinho ! Mourinho Forever!!!!!!!!!!!!!
sir alex got his come uppance & he did not like it. mu were given a soccer lesson in oporto & he just found that difficult to swallow. reputations alone are no longer enough.