In hindsight, seeing the success of FC Porto under Jose Mourinho doesn’t seem as great as it should, looking at the likes of Deco, Ricardo Carvalho and Maniche in the side. Yet when Mourinho took over at FC Porto in January of 2002, the team was going through a tough period. Porto was fifth in the Liga Portuguesa, was in last place in the second stage group of the Champions League, and had been eliminated from the Portuguese Cup. By the time the season had ended, Mourinho’s side had finished in third place and the manager made the promise of making Porto champions the following season. He signed players from clubs in the Portuguesa Liga, including Paulo Ferreira from Vitoria de Setubal and Nuno Valente from Leiria. Across the next two seasons, Porto won two league titles, a Portuguese Cup, one UEFA Cup and the UEFA Champions League.

Credit must be given to Mourinho for getting the best out of his players, as the likes of Paulo Ferreira, Nuno Valente, and Jose Bosingwa looked like some of the best defenders in the world, attacking and defending very well. As all three full backs later came to play in the Premier League, none were able to truly make their mark, with Ferreira the most successful of them all. The fullbacks had the freedom to attack at will due to the part the three central midfielders played in Mourinho’s 4-3-1-2 system. At times, the three midfielders would play almost as if they were three defensive midfielders, covering space in which the absence of a full back may seem dangerous.

Tactically, this side was rather simple. What made them brilliant was the well-drilled nature of the side, something seen in many Mourinho teams, especially in the treble-winning Inter Milan side of 2010. Porto had a rock-solid defense and played a superb offside trap. Porto’s defense played in a rather high line and the whole team worked as a unit. Another key aspect of the side was the ability to shift tactically depending on the opposition, with Mourinho often picking two out of the likes of Carlos Alberto, Benni McCarthy, and Derlei up front for the side, depending on the opposition. For example, in the 2004 Champions League final, Benni McCarthy was dropped to the bench, despite being his side’s top scorer throughout the season with 20 goals. Also, the side pressed superbly, starting from the forward line. This forced opponents to either concede the ball or try longer passes.

A common misconception of the side was of their ultra-defensive nature. In truth, they were a highly adaptable side and both sides of their game could be seen. The most famous victory for the side was in the 2004 Champions League Final. Early into that final, Monaco captain Ludovic Giuly came off with an injury and Monaco shifted into a 4-4-2 formation. With three men in midfield, Mourinho’s side had the advantage of an extra man in midfield. They made the advantage count and after scoring in the first half, played rather defensively in the second half. With Monaco attacking, Porto counter-attacked with their front three (Deco, Derlei, and Carlos Alberto/Alenichev). By finding lots of space on the break, two goals in four second half minutes from Deco and Alenichev saw Porto run 3-0 winners on the night. Their famous Champions League run also saw them play rather defensively against Manchester United, and even better against Deportivo La Coruna in the semi-final, where they sat back and defended superbly over two legs, progressing 1-0 on aggregate. They were also able to play attacking football though, as they showed by defeating a Lyon side containing the likes of Peguy Luyindula, Juninho, and Giovane Elber. They won 4-2 on aggregate in that quarter-final tie.

In terms of underdog success, this side’s Champions League win goes down as one of the last true underdog wins in history. The 2004 Champions League final pitted two rather unfancied sides against one another in Porto and Monaco. In the European Championships that summer, Greece would emerge as champions, completely upsetting the odds. Since then, seeing sides like Porto and Greece in finals has not been seen in big international tournaments or in the Champions League. Nowadays, the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Bayern Munich have consistently made the semi-finals of the Champions League multiple seasons in a row. Whether we will see another dogged side like Porto, with their success, is a rather good question. Until then, we can pay respects to the side which gave rise to Jose Mourinho.