The year he turned 29, he was hired as a translator when Bobby Robson took over at Sporting CP. The year he turned 37, he was appointed Benfica manager in September, moving up from assistant coach. The year he turned 38, he managed the Portuguese club União de Leiria.
The year he turned 39, he took over at Porto in January. The year he turned 40, Porto beat Celtic in the UEFA Cup final in Seville on May 21.
The breakthrough yearThe year he turned 41, Porto beat Monaco in the Champions League final on May 26, and BBC Sport later wrote that he made his name at Porto between 2002 and 2004. On June 2 he was confirmed as Chelsea manager.
The year he turned 42, Chelsea won the League Cup and then the Premier League title under him. The year he turned 43, Chelsea won the Premiership again by beating Manchester United 3-0. The year he turned 44, Chelsea won the FA Cup, and he left the club by mutual consent in September.
The year he turned 45, he was appointed Inter Milan manager on a three-year deal. The year he turned 46, he steered Inter to the Serie A title in his first season in charge. The year he turned 47, Inter beat Bayern Munich 2-0 in the Champions League final to complete a treble, and in May he was unveiled as Real Madrid manager.
The year he turned 48, Real Madrid won the Copa del Rey with a 1-0 win over Barcelona. The year he turned 49, Real Madrid secured the league title with a 3-0 win at Athletic Bilbao. The year he turned 50, he left Real Madrid and returned to Chelsea on a four-year contract.
The year he turned 52, Chelsea won the League Cup and the Premier League title, and he was sacked in December. The year he turned 53, he became Manchester United manager and won the Community Shield. The year he turned 54, United won the EFL Cup and the Europa League. The year he turned 55, Manchester United sacked him in December.
The year he turned 56, he was appointed Tottenham manager in November. The year he turned 58, Tottenham sacked him in April and he took over at Roma in May. The year he turned 59, Roma beat Feyenoord in the Europa Conference League final. The year he turned 60, Roma lost the Europa League final to Sevilla on penalties.
The year he turned 61, Roma sacked him in January and he was appointed Fenerbahce manager in June. The year he turned 62, Fenerbahce sacked him in August and he returned to Benfica in September. The year he turned 63, Benfica finished the league season unbeaten, and Real Madrid re-appointed him in June.
José Mourinho (born Jan 26, 1963) became a head coach in 2000, the year he turned 37, and became known on May 26, 2004, the year he turned 41, when Porto won the Champions League. Inter won a treble under him in 2010, the year he turned 47.
Ages are by calendar year (the year minus the birth year), birthdays aside.
Hired as a translator when English coach Bobby Robson took over at Sporting CP. He followed Robson to Porto in 1994 and to Barcelona in 1996.
Source 01 · Britannica · José Mourinho · opens in a new tab Britannica gives the month; the day is not given.Benfica turned to assistant coach Mourinho after Jupp Heynckes left. It was his first job as a head coach.
Source 02 · BBC Sport · Mourinho replaces Heynckes at Benfica · opens in a new tabSource 01 · Britannica · José Mourinho · opens in a new tabSource 03 · The Guardian · If something got in his way, he would leave · opens in a new tabSource 31 · BBC Sport · Mourinho appointed Benfica manager · opens in a new tabAfter Benfica he managed the Portuguese club União de Leiria in 2001.
Source 01 · Britannica · José Mourinho · opens in a new tab Britannica gives the year only.Became Porto manager in January 2002, in a spell Britannica says covered 127 games over 30 months.
Source 01 · Britannica · José Mourinho · opens in a new tab Britannica gives the month; the day is not given.Porto beat Celtic 3-2 after extra time in the UEFA Cup final in Seville. Britannica also lists the 2002–03 Portuguese Cup and league title among his Porto honors.
Source 04 · BBC Sport · Porto end Celtic’s Uefa dream · opens in a new tabSource 01 · Britannica · José Mourinho · opens in a new tabPorto beat Monaco in the Champions League final in Gelsenkirchen. BBC Sport later wrote that he made his name at Porto between 2002 and 2004.
Chelsea confirmed him on a three-year contract, replacing the sacked Claudio Ranieri. He was 41.
Source 07 · BBC Sport · Chelsea appoint Mourinho · opens in a new tabChelsea beat Liverpool 3-2 in the Carling Cup final.
Source 08 · BBC Sport · Mourinho makes shock Chelsea exit · opens in a new tabChelsea beat Bolton 2-0 to win the Premiership title.
Source 08 · BBC Sport · Mourinho makes shock Chelsea exit · opens in a new tabChelsea beat Manchester United 3-0 to win the Premiership again.
Source 08 · BBC Sport · Mourinho makes shock Chelsea exit · opens in a new tabChelsea beat Manchester United 1-0 at Wembley.
Source 08 · BBC Sport · Mourinho makes shock Chelsea exit · opens in a new tabSource 01 · Britannica · José Mourinho · opens in a new tabLeft by mutual consent at 44. BBC Sport counted a Premiership title in each of his first two seasons.
Source 08 · BBC Sport · Mourinho makes shock Chelsea exit · opens in a new tabSigned a three-year deal, succeeding Roberto Mancini. It was his first job since leaving Chelsea.
Source 09 · BBC Sport · Mourinho takes over as Inter boss · opens in a new tabSteered Inter to the Serie A title in his first season in charge, according to The Guardian.
Source 10 · The Guardian · Mourinho, tears and defiance: the story of Inter’s 2009–10 season · opens in a new tab The Guardian gives the season, not the date of the title.Inter beat Bayern Munich 2-0 in the Champions League final. The Guardian says Inter became the first Italian side to win the Serie A, Coppa Italia and Champions League treble.
Source 10 · The Guardian · Mourinho, tears and defiance: the story of Inter’s 2009–10 season · opens in a new tabSource 01 · Britannica · José Mourinho · opens in a new tabSigned a four-year deal at Real Madrid, replacing Manuel Pellegrini. He was 47.
Source 11 · BBC Sport · Real Madrid unveil Jose Mourinho as their new coach · opens in a new tabCristiano Ronaldo’s extra-time goal beat Barcelona 1-0 at Mestalla. It was Real’s first trophy under Mourinho.
Source 12 · The Guardian · Ronaldo’s late goal gives Real Madrid win over Barcelona in Copa del Rey · opens in a new tabA 3-0 win at Athletic Bilbao secured Real’s 32nd league title with two matches to spare. The Guardian counts it as his seventh league title in four countries.
Source 13 · The Guardian · José Mourinho’s mission accomplished as Real Madrid seal title · opens in a new tabReal Madrid said he would leave at the end of the season after three years, having won the league and the Copa del Rey.
Source 14 · BBC Sport · Mourinho: Real Madrid boss to leave next month · opens in a new tabConfirmed as Chelsea manager for a second spell on a four-year contract, replacing Rafael Benitez. He was 50.
Source 15 · BBC Sport · Jose Mourinho returns as Chelsea manager on four-year deal · opens in a new tabChelsea beat Tottenham 2-0 in the Capital One Cup final at Wembley, his first trophy of the second spell.
Source 16 · BBC Sport · Chelsea 2-0 Tottenham Hotspur · opens in a new tabChelsea beat Crystal Palace 1-0 to secure the title with three games to spare, his third league title with the club.
Source 17 · BBC Sport · Chelsea 1-0 Crystal Palace · opens in a new tabChelsea sacked him at 52, with the team 16th in the table after nine defeats in 16 league games.
Source 18 · BBC Sport · Chelsea sack Mourinho after Premier League slump · opens in a new tabBecame Manchester United manager in May 2016.
Source 19 · BBC Sport · Manchester United sack Jose Mourinho · opens in a new tab BBC Sport gives the month; the day is not given.Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s late header beat Leicester at Wembley, and Mourinho began his United reign with a trophy.
Source 20 · BBC Sport · Leicester 1-2 Manchester United (Community Shield) · opens in a new tabUnited beat Southampton 3-2 at Wembley in the EFL Cup final.
Source 21 · The Guardian · Ibrahimovic takes Manchester United to EFL Cup final win over Southampton · opens in a new tabUnited beat Ajax in the Europa League final in Stockholm, which also secured a Champions League place.
Source 22 · BBC Sport · Ajax 0-2 Manchester United · opens in a new tabUnited sacked him at 55, with the team 19 points behind leaders Liverpool.
Source 19 · BBC Sport · Manchester United sack Jose Mourinho · opens in a new tabTottenham appointed him on a contract running until the end of the 2022-23 season after Mauricio Pochettino was sacked.
Source 23 · The Guardian · José Mourinho appointed Tottenham manager after Pochettino sacked · opens in a new tabTottenham sacked him after 17 months, with the team seventh in the league. Spurs had finished sixth the previous season.
Source 24 · BBC Sport · Jose Mourinho sacked by Tottenham · opens in a new tabBecame Roma manager in May 2021.
Source 25 · BBC Sport · Roma sack Mourinho and appoint Daniele de Rossi · opens in a new tab BBC Sport gives the month; the day is not given.Roma beat Feyenoord 1-0 in the final. BBC Sport reported he became the first manager to win all three major European competitions.
Source 26 · BBC Sport · Jose Mourinho: a serial winner who has brought Roma to life · opens in a new tabSource 27 · The Guardian · Roma 1-0 Feyenoord: Europa Conference League final · opens in a new tabSevilla beat Roma on penalties after a 1-1 draw in Budapest.
Source 28 · BBC Sport · Sevilla 1-1 Roma (4-1 on pens) · opens in a new tabSource 34 · The Guardian · Montiel edges Sevilla to seventh Europa League triumph with win over Roma · opens in a new tabSource 25 · BBC Sport · Roma sack Mourinho and appoint Daniele de Rossi · opens in a new tabRoma sacked him at 60, with the team ninth in Serie A.
Source 25 · BBC Sport · Roma sack Mourinho and appoint Daniele de Rossi · opens in a new tabFenerbahce announced him as manager, his first job since leaving Roma in January. He was 61.
Source 29 · The Guardian · José Mourinho returns to football as new Fenerbahce head coach · opens in a new tabFenerbahce sacked him two days after Benfica eliminated the club from the Champions League play-offs. The team had finished second in the league.
Source 30 · BBC Sport · Mourinho sacked by Fenerbahce after Champions League exit · opens in a new tabBenfica appointed him on a deal until the summer of 2027. His first spell at the club in 2000 lasted 10 games.
Source 31 · BBC Sport · Mourinho appointed Benfica manager · opens in a new tabBenfica finished the Primeira Liga season unbeaten but missed a Champions League place.
Source 32 · ESPN · José Mourinho confirms Real Madrid links; will decide next week · opens in a new tabReal Madrid confirmed his return on a three-year deal, 13 years after his first stint ended. He was 63.
Source 33 · BBC Sport · Real Madrid bring back Mourinho on three-year deal · opens in a new tabEND OF SELECTED RECORDSSelected records, 1992–2026 · not a complete list of work. “Key moment” is an editorial label, not a measure of success.
What did they do, and at what age?
AgeTrail lines up the key moments of a life by age.
Debut and breakthrough are marked separately, and every record has a source.
Sports · Portugal
Jan 26, 1963 —
Ages are counted from the birth year 1963: the year of the event minus 1963, birthdays aside. “Key moment” labels and the connecting story are AgeTrail's editorial reading.
Fact-checked: 2026.09.30 · An independent archive, not affiliated with the person or their agency.