MOURINHO'S CV
1992-97: Worked under Bobby Robson at Sporting Lisbon, Porto and Barcelona
1997-2000: Stayed on at Barcelona under Dutchman Louis van Gaal
2000-1: Lasted just nine games as Benfica coach before resigning after a contract row, then moving to Uniao Leiria, who he guided to the Uefa Cup
Jan 2002: Joined Porto and led them to third from their lowest ever position
2002-3: Won League, Cup and Uefa Cup treble with Porto.
2003-4: Having already won the Portuguese league, Porto reach the European Cup final


Porto coach Jose Mourinho is the most wanted man in European football.

Linked with a host of top clubs, including Chelsea and Real Madrid, Mourinho has guided Porto to their first European Cup final since 1987.

Porto have lost just one game in the Champions League this season - at home to Real Madrid in the group stage.

The Portuguese champions have also got the better of Manchester United, Lyon and Deportivo la Coruna during the knockout stages.

But who is Jose Mourinho and where did he come from? BBC Sport talks to a Portuguese agent and two players, past and present, who have worked with the Porto coach.

PORTUGUESE AGENT JORGE GAMA

"Mourinho has a very strong personality. He is also relatively young, which means he speaks the same language as the players.

"All the players respect him. I represent a player at Porto - Pedro Emanuel - and he says no other coach he has worked under is comparable to Mourinho.

"He did an incredible job when he was Uniao Leiria's coach when they qualified for the Uefa Cup considering what little money the club had.

"I think it's also interesting that when Bobby Robson left Barcelona, Louis van Gaal was keen to keep Mourinho. That tells you a lot about his qualities.

"Mourinho wasn't a top player. He played for Setubal, the town where he was born.

"His father was a coach at Setubal and then they moved to northern Portugal, where his dad was coach at Rio Ave.

"His father was also a good coach and even as a teenager Mourinho would work for him scouting players.

"He's the same person I met eight years ago. His success hasn't changed him. He has a few good friends and he's devoted to his family."