He had held low-profile positions at Estrela Amadora and Vitoria Setubal before taking his first high-profile role in 1992 when appointed to work under Bobby Robson at Sporting Lisbon. Mourinho initially worked as Robson's translator, but he turned out to be much more than a linguist.
From an early age he had been fascinated by football tactics and impressed by his attention to detail, work ethic and passion, Robson would give him increasingly more responsibility with the first team.
When Robson moved on to Porto in 1993, it was no surprise that he took his friend and colleague with him; Mourinho duly became his assistant manager and in three years at Porto, they clinched two titles.
ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE: CHELSEA FOOTBALL CLUB
