Jose Mourinho may now be an out of work, bus parking, dinosaur of a manager who has been sacked by Chelsea and Manchester United in the last few years, okay those aren’t necessarily my actual views, but cast your mind back to 2004 and the handsome Portuguese head coach was the toast of Europe.
He inspired Porto to a historic double including a stunning Champions League title, he became Roman Abramovich’s first appointment as Chelsea owner and he made a barnstorming start to life in the Premier League, announcing himself as the ‘special one’.
Those were happier times, simpler times, and less whiny times on Mourinho’s part at least. And it is to 2004 that we turn our attention today, taking a look at Mourinho’s final seven signing as Porto boss, and where those players are now.
Here are Jose Mourinho’s last 7 Porto signings: Where are they now?
7. Carlos Alberto – Free Agent
Jose Mourinho’s final signing as Porto manager was Carlos Alberto de Jesus, better known simply as Carlos Alberto. The last of three January 2004 additions to the Porto squad by Bobby Robson’s former interpreter, Carlos Alberto arrived from Fluminense with a big reputation. Having just turned 19, Alberto had won 4 caps for Brazil in 2003 as an 18-year-old, and was considered one of the nation’s brightest talents.
He started and scored the opening goal of the 2004 Champions League final, but that was as good as it got for the youngster. Following Mourinho’s departure, his opportunities became limited at Porto. Moves to Corinthians and Werder Bremen followed, as Alberto tumbled down the footballing pyramid. Now aged 34, he most recently played for Atletico Paranaense, where he signed a one-year deal but played only three games in 2017.
6. Maciel – Retired
Midfielder of FC Krasnodar Wanderson Maciel during UEFA Europa league match between Valencia cf vs FC Krasnodar 1st. leg at Mestalla Stadium on March 7, 2019.
From one Brazilian to another, Maciel joined Porto from fellow Primeira Liga outfit Uniao Leiria, who now find themselves in the third tier of Portuguese football, in a deal which saw a young Hugo Almeida go on-loan in the opposite direction. Maciel had impressed for the Primeira Liga minnows, but he managed just 3 goals in 19 games for Porto before being sent out on-loan. Maciel is 40 now, and he retired in 2016 whilst playing lower league football in Brazil
5. Sérgio Conceição – Porto Manager
One of Jose Mourinho’s final signings as Porto manager went on to take over that role himself some 13 years later. Sergio Conceicao had already spent a couple of seasons at Porto in the 1990’s, before spending six seasons in Serie A, and Mourinho brought the Portuguese international back to the Primeira Liga in January 2004. It proved to be short-lived, as Conceicao left in the same summer as Mourinho for a far more successful stint at Standard Liege. The 44-year-old moved into management in 2012, and he replaced former teammate Nuno Espirito Santo as Porto boss in June 2017, where he has since won one league title.
4. Bruno Moraes – Trofense
Club’s Wesley Moraes and Salzburg’s Jerome Onguene fight for the ball during the match between Belgian soccer team Club Brugge against Austrian team FC Red Bull Salzburg, Thursday 21…
There’s a pretty strong Brazilian theme to this seven so far, and Bruno Moraes was the third Brazilian of Jose Mourinho’s last four Porto signings. Like Carlos Alberto, Moraes was brought over from Brazil as a promising teenager. The former Santos man bagged 11 goals in 12 games for Porto’s B team, and he was quickly promoted to the senior side. Sadly, however, he couldn’t replicate that form in the Primeira Liga, where he scored just 2 goals in 17 games. He has since played in Romania, Hungary and Cyprus, but the 34-year-old is now back in Portugal, currently scoring regularly for Trofense in the countries third tier.
3. Jose Bosingwa – Retired
The only player in this seven that went on to play for Chelsea as well, Jose Bosingwa never actually played for the Blues under Jose Mourinho. The Portuguese international arrived at Stamford Bridge in 2008, a year after Mourinho’s departure, and left in 2012, a year before his return. An excellent right-back at his best and completely and utterly useless as QPR fans will testify at his worst, Bosingwa called time on a successful career after three seasons in Turkey with Trabzonspor in 2016.
2. Benni McCarthy – Cape Town Manager
Benni McCarthy looks on during the UEFA Champions League Final match between Juventus and Real Madrid at the National Stadium of Wales on June 3, 2017 in Cardiff, Wales.
A familiar face to followers of Dutch, Spanish, Portuguese, English and of course South African football, Benni McCarthy had a long and prolific career in the game. His countries all time leading goal scorer, McCarthy first joined Porto on-loan from Celta Vigo in 2002, where he scored 12 goals in 11 games. Jose Mourinho was all too happy to sign him for €3.5 million in 2003 then, and the South African goal getter won the Golden Boot in his debut campaign. He went on to score plenty of goals for Blackburn Rovers in the Premier League, before retiring from the playing side of the game in 2013. The 41-year-old took over as Cape Town City manager in June 2017, finishing fifth in the ABSA Premiership in his first season as a manager.
1. Pedro Mendes – Agent
With his long hair and occasional wonder goals, Pedro Mendes tended to be a fan favourite wherever he went. He spent just a single season at Porto, but he did play a pivotal role as the club won three trophies including that Champions League. He then signed for Tottenham Hotspur, where he also spent just one season, before having slightly longer stays at Portsmouth and Rangers. The 39-year-old hung up his boots in 2012 and now works as a football agent.
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