Van Gaal (left) and Mourinho while working together at Barcelona.
Jose Mourinho, also known as `The Special One`, has climbed to many heights by winning seven domestic championships in four countries.
But without the role of Louis van Gaal, perhaps the illustrious coaching career of `The Special One` would hardly be as it is today.
Few people know that it was Louis van Gaal who gave Mourinho his first opportunity to join the coaching ranks.
When the Dutch coach came to Barcelona to replace Robson in 1997, Mourinho was at risk of being fired as assistant coach.
Van Gaal invited all members of the former coaching staff to dinner so everyone had a chance to introduce themselves.
That changed Mourinho’s later career.
Two strategists in the recent confrontation in 2010. Photo: AI.
Van Gaal, not Robson, was the one who gave Mourinho the opportunity to take charge of coaching training sessions.
`We live very close to each other. My house is only about 15 meters from Van Gaal’s house, and we almost work together 24 hours a day and seven days a week. I worked day and night at that time, but I felt very
Meanwhile, Van Gaal, true to his character, praised the man who will now have many opportunities to face him in the Premier League: `He has helped me gain more confidence when sitting on the bench.`
Ten years after working together, they met again in the final match of the Champions League.
Naomi