The legend of the Portuguese coach began to take shape 20 years ago, when he left his first titles as coach on track
Feyenoord and Roma will meet next Thursday in the first leg of the Europa League quarterfinals. It will be the reissue of the final of the last Conference League, which fell on the side of the Italian team, that is, on the side of José Mourinho. The Portuguese coach completed, with that victory, an unprecedented achievement, that of the three international club competitions (he owns two Champions League, two UEFA Cups and one Conference), and showed that, when spring arrives, his teams flourish and choose , almost always, to the titles. Up to 26 shine in the showcases of the coach born in Setúbal.
But everything has a beginning. And Mourinho’s first successes as a coach came exactly 20 years ago. In his first full season in charge of Porto, 2002-03, he won the Primeira Liga, conquered the Taça de Portugal and beat Celtic 3-2 in a thrilling UEFA Cup final. A triplet as a cover letter. “Today it is easy to say that its impact was immediate, but we are probably influenced by the knowledge we have of what happened afterwards& rdquor;. The person speaking is Diogo Faria, a member of the ‘Dragões’ communication department, attesting that not even the most optimistic would have predicted the transformation that Porto would undergo after the arrival, in January 2002, of José Mourinho. The bet, with the team plunged into a crisis of results, was made by the president, the historic Jorge Nuno Pinto da Costa, who already knew the coach from his stage as Robson’s assistant. “Robson was a very important coach in Porto’s history, but the fans didn’t pay too much attention to the figure of their young assistant coach. In fact, many thought that he was his translator. Only those who followed the team more closely already realized that Mourinho had a significant influence on the daily work of the team& rdquor ;, acknowledges Faria. In addition to asserting an excellent personal relationship, the Porto president had to silence the voices that accused Mourinho of a certain instability on the bench. Not surprisingly, his debut as first coach had not exactly been a bed of roses. His first solo experience of his came at Benfica, in the 2000-01 season, after he declined Robson’s invitation to join Newcastle’s coaching staff. Mou felt ready to make the big leap and did not hesitate when the ‘incarnated’ team chose him to replace Heynckes. “Mourinho was unknown. He was supposed to have a solid training and experience alongside technicians like Robson or Van Gaal, but no one dreamed of the level that he would end up reaching. In a short time, he stabilized the team and thrashed Sporting, the current champion& rdquor ;, recalls Faria. But Benfica, also in crisis, called elections and the arrival of a new president altered the ecosystem. Neither short nor lazy, Mourinho demanded a new contract from the new board; he wanted to feel his trust. “Not finding her, he left the club in December. And, in fact, he was about to go to Sporting… & rdquor ;, adds the journalist. The young coach showed character, but he was unemployed in the middle of the season.
For the 2001-02 academic year, Mou signed for the modest União de Leiria, a setting more in line with his still empty resume. For a club used to fighting for permanence, that was a rush: the team finished fifth after the first round. But again Mourinho abandoned a project halfway. This time, after an irresistible offer. “He and Porto signed a secret agreement in December, at a time when Benfica also wanted to get it back. But Porto’s results worsened and his arrival was advanced & rdquor ;, admits Faria.
The third time was the charm. Because the confidence with which he appeared in his new team is still kicking in the city in the north of the country. “Next year we will be national champions& rdquor ;, he said as soon as he arrived, a message halfway between conviction and arrogance, the first of many. The most media version of Mourinho was born; also the most psychological: he changed the mentality of the group and generated a wave of enthusiasm that spread among the fans. On the last day, the team qualified for UEFA.
“Next year we will be champions,” Mourinho said as soon as he landed in Porto
The first triplet
And so we come to the 2002-03 season, the first that Mourinho completed from start to finish. Although the club already had players like Ferreira, Pedro Emanuel and Maniche on hand, the new coach was in charge of leading a profound remodeling of the squad, betting on the national market. Thus, he brought Nuno Valente and Derlei from his former team, the latter a mobile, strong and very complete striker. “It was his most important signing& rdquor ;, considers Faria. He also rearranged hierarchies and pacified the club with the return of the historic Jorge Costa, in conflict with the previous coach, Octávio Machado. He returned the captaincy and won over the fans. On the field that Porto was a very strong team tactically. And although some clueless may think otherwise, he did not speculate. “Mourinho valued possession of the ball, pressed high and was very offensive& rdquor ;, says Faria, who points to Deco as “the most decisive player” and Jorge Costa and Vitor Baía as “spiritual leaders”. Ricardo Carvalho and Costinha also stood out in that group. With the exception of the Russian Alenichev, the team was made up mostly of Portuguese.
Porto’s trajectory in the domestic championship was uneventful. Just as their coach had predicted, the team, which started the tournament with a draw at home, soon established itself as the great candidate for the title. “The superiority was overwhelming. This made it possible to manage and calmly face the UEFA Cup qualifiers& rdquor ;, recalls Faria. Between November and March, Porto got rid of Lens, Denizlispor and Panathinaikos. In the semis it was the turn of Lazio. The first leg, played under heavy rain at Das Antas – Porto’s old stadium; Do Dragão would be inaugurated at the end of 2003–, it was one of the best of the season. It ended 4-1. “For me, he is the best of the Mourinho era at Porto.& rdquor ;, evokes Faria. “Lazio scored first, but the team’s reaction was very strong, with a number of chances that could have resulted in seven or eight goals. It was an avalanche of offensive football that gave the rival no rest”, he adds. On April 24, a 0-0 draw at the Olímpico allowed the ‘Dragões’ to certify the ticket to the UEFA final. Shortly after, on May 4, at home and against Santa Clara, the team mathematically sealed the league title (which would end with 86 points, a new record in the competition). And in between, access to the cup final also fell, after beating Naval in the semifinals 2-0. In the decisive duel, which would be played in June, Mourinho would complete the treble by defeating his former team, União de Leiria.
Mourinho’s first great spring was not a flash in the pan. More would come. With Porto itself, where the following year he would win the league and the Champions League, but also with Chelsea, Inter, Real Madrid or Manchester United. Two decades later, Mou’s teams continue to ‘change themselves’ when April arrives