‘A little Magpie’ – why Mourinho ‘loves’ Newcastle

As he boarded the flight home from Madrid, Mark Robson was understandably a little anxious.

A Ballon d’Or award was required for Sir Bobby Robson’s son to recover his prized piece of hand luggage in perfect condition.

Jose Mourinho donated the gong for a 2011 charity auction in honor of his late mentor.

The Sir Bobby Robson Foundation, which aims to find more efficient ways to detect and treat cancer, received a further £26,000.

The gesture has never been forgotten by the family.

Jose did that with such great care,” Mark said. It “deeply demonstrates what he is like.”

As the Portuguese prepares to take his Benfica side to St James’ Park, it also demonstrates Mourinho’s unwavering love for Sir Bobby, who he worked as an interpreter and assistant for five years in the 1990s.

When Mourinho’s team faces Newcastle United in the Champions League on Tuesday night, Mourinho will be desperate to record just his fourth win on Tyneside.

As he travels to “Mr. Robson’s home” and dodges the bust of the former Newcastle manager in the players’ entrance, though, this will still be an emotional occasion.

This was a time before the moniker “Special One” was used.

As he made his way through the 1992 arrivals, Sir Bobby was actually mobbed rather than Mourinho.

Sousa Cintra, the club president, was present for the former England manager’s arrival in Lisbon to take over Sporting.

Because the Portuguese could not speak English, he brought polyglot Mourinho along.

Sporting assistant Manuel Fernandes, who had previously worked with the young coach at Vitoria de Setubal and Estrela da Amadora, had recommended Mourinho.

The course of Mourinho’s life was altered by that moment.

On the training ground, Mourinho and Sir Bobby sat next to each other. He even accompanied him to meetings with the hierarchy and helped to spread his message to the players and the media.

With a 30-year age difference, the pair were quickly identified as a “good couple,” according to Sporting defender Stan Valckx.

Bobby and Mourinho exchanged briefings before the game to explain something, he said, and then Mourinho translated it into Portuguese. He said, “It took 10 minutes and there were a lot of emotions in what I was saying.

He was clearly much more than just an interpreter, he remarked. He had a lot of ambition and loyalty. He greatly assisted Bobby.

Later on, Sir Bobby would learn that he had been fired through Mourinho.

Even though Sporting may have been at the top of the league in December 1993, Cintra abruptly made the dramatic announcement on the team’s Austrian return.

Following his side’s exit from the Uefa Cup at Casino Salzburg, the club president announced in his native tongue that Sir Bobby would be fired.

However, Sir Bobby and Mourinho’s partnership continued to grow.

When Sir Bobby was offered the Porto job about a year later, he had, in all truth, spoken with Mourinho and brought his assistant along.

Jose was watching if something was said behind father’s back, according to Mark Robson.

He served as a sounding board, his eyes, ears, and ears. In those circumstances, you need a right-hander, and Ménuinho was that person.

He was able to handle it quietly and effectively because he was such a strong character even at that age.

Jose would spot any disruptors and deal with them, he said. The pudding has the proof, after all, and it obviously worked well.

Before Barcelona called in 1996, Sir Bobby won five Trophies at Porto, including two league titles.

At first, Barcelona’s leaders wanted a person with connections to the club as their assistant, but he insisted that Mourinho be the latter.

for a reason.

Following Johan Cruyff’s death, Sir Bobby needed someone who he could implicitly trust and could translate his message in another language. He was entering a divided club at the time.

By this point, Mourinho had long since changed.

On the training ground, he assisted. Sir Bobby praised his scouting dossiers as the best he had ever seen. He had a history of dealing with foreign players, obviously.

As midfielder Guillermo Amor explained, the pair complemented one another in a testing setting once more.

He claimed that they were able to create a positive atmosphere and form a formidable team.

Joe was more in touch with the players because of his fluency and age, both of whom were very similar to ours.

He praised Bobby and said, “He had great faith in everything Jose could do on the field and in the locker room.”

In what proved to be his final season with Mourinho, Sir Bobby won the Copa Del Rey, the European Cup Winners’ Cup, and the Spanish Cup before Louis van Gaal was appointed as the Barcelona manager.

After being already informed by van Gaal about the benefits of keeping his assistant, Mourinho told Sir Bobby he wanted to leave out of loyalty. However, his mentor persuaded him to stay.

The Portuguese could have followed Sir Bobby to Newcastle in 1999 if Mourinho had not spent three more years under van Gaal at the Nou Camp.

Instead, he chose to go it alone, but Sir Bobby continues to be influential.

Mourinho still remembers the occasions the two families spent in Sitges, the meals Sir Bobby never offered him, and the life lessons he was taught.

The 62-year-old describes himself as a “little Magpie” because of this.