#3 Rui Faria and Jose Mourinho
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Jose Mourinho-Rui Faria partnership started more than a decade ago. Unlike Mourinho, Faria has not played professional Football at all. Before joining the Portuguese manager, Faria was a Physical Education teacher. The two met during a coaching seminar at Camp Nou where Mourinho himself was working as an assistant to Louis van Gaal. When Mou took his first managerial job at Uniao De Leiria, he hired Faria as a fitness coach and video analyst.
Since then, Faria has followed his ‘Special’ boss to every club he went. While Faria’s primary role has always been a fitness coach, recently he has started contributing in strategical and tactical decisions as well. Mourinho trusts Faria completely, describing him as his “methodology right arm” during an interview to Daily Mail.
The duo has many similar traits, both good and bad. Like his boss, Faria is known to be a keen learner and a meticulous planner. But he’s also known for his fiery temper. During the 2012 season at Real Madrid, the assistant was sent off four times in four months for protesting against referee decisions.
In April 2014 during Mourinho’s second stint at Chelsea, Faria had to be restrained by his boss and other staff members because of his protests against a penalty decision given to Sunderland. He received a six-match touchline ban for the offence.
Manchester United have struggled in the Premier League this season, so the Portuguese duo would be looking to end the season on a high with the Europa League trophy.
