José Mourinho has won league championships in four countries - Italy (Inter Milan), England (Chelsea), Spain (Real Madrid) and Portugal (FC Porto) - but still considers his achieve-ments with FC Porto as his greatest moments.
He said: “Obviously the titles that I won with FC Porto are the most important in my career because they were titles won with a Portuguese team for Portuguese soccer. With Porto it was a unique case because that was winning a Champions League final with nine Portuguese players. Would I like to see it happen again? Yes I would, yes.”
Mourinho left Porto for Chelsea in 2004 after two Primeira Liga wins and a Champions League success.
Born in Setúbal, the charismatic manager often holidays in the Algarve with his family. Mourinho’s FC Porto beat Monaco 3-0 in the 2004 final – he also won the Portuguese Cup, UEFA Cup and Portuguese Super Cup - and while he chases four trophies with Chelsea this year the 51-year-old is happy to fly the flag for his homeland.
He added: “It represents a feel good factor of not only having reached so many goals in my career, but also in some way having contributed to Portuguese soccer. I have not been working here for eleven years, eleven years away, but even when I am away I have always tried to dignify my country and Portuguese soccer.”
Cristiano Ronaldo was named the greatest player, beating Eusébio and Figo. The greatest Portugal XI from the last hundred years was also nominated: Vítor Baía, Fernando Couto, Germano, Humberto Coelho, Ricardo Carvalho, Coluna, Figo, Rui Costa, Ronaldo, Eusébio and Futre.