Porto hand-picked a successful coach at União de Leiria with the name José Mourinho. Mourinho had been before at Barcelona as an assistant coach under Louis Van Gaal. José had shown great managerial skill at Leiria. Porto got rid of their coach Octávio Machado in January 2002. Mourinho got the offer and took it as his opportunity to prove himself as a great coach.

Making of José

When Mourinho took over the team: Porto was 5th in the league, last in the second group of the Champions League and out of the domestic cup. Mourinho couldn´t clean everything up asap. The positive thing of that season was the 15 games (11 wins) unbeaten run that took them to 3rd in the league. At the end of the season, Mourinho made a big statement to the Porto fans. The statement was that he would “make Porto champions next year”.

Mourinho was quick to find his backbone of the team in Vítor Baía, Ricardo Carvalho, Costinha, Deco, and Dmitri Alenichev. He also got some players into the team with the likes of Nuno Valente and Derlei; Key players at União de Leiria; Paulo Ferreira, a promising full back from Vitória de Setúbal, and Edgaras Jankauskas and Maniche from Benfica for free. Maniche especially would be a steal.

The following season (2002-03) Porto won the league with a record of 27-5-2 and were 11 points clear of Benfica, the team Mourinho quit two seasons earlier. This was the record for the most points in the Primeira Liga since the 3 point system was introduced. However, the record doesn´t stand today because Benfica overtook the record with 88 points in the 2015/16 season. The key thing to Mourinho’s massive success in the second season was “Pressão Alta” (“high pressure”). It was like Porto was constantly pressuring their opponent and was just waiting for a mistake. Contra football was key for Porto with Helder Postiga, Derlei, and Deco ready to counter their opponent. Helder Postiga (15) and Derlei (7) was the best goalscorer this season for Porto, but the top scorer of the league was Simão (Benfica) and Faye Fary (Beira-Mar).

Helder Postiga is the top scorer for Porto with 15 goals and leaves Porto for Tottenham.

Porto also wins the Taça de Portugal, beating former club Leiria in the final. The game ends 1-0 with a goal from Derlei.

Porto had more success in Europe. They were playing in the UEFA Cup (Europa League) and weres so good that they were in the final against Celtic. Before the final, Porto had smashed every opponent and their hardest challenge weirdly enough was Panathinaikos in the quarterfinals. The game even went to overtime.

The final against Celtic was played in Seville in Spain. Estadio de La Cartuja was full. There were more than 52.000 in attendance. The game was described by UEFA as “the largest travelling support to have assembled for a single game”. There were more than 80.000 Celtic supporters in Seville. The Celtic fans won the fair play award for the manner in which they conducted themselves.

Lineups for the game.

Kick-off was at 20:45 local time. First-half Celtic got the biggest chance which didn´t end up being a goal. However, Porto did score in the added time of the first half with some great work from Deco. Dmitri Alenichev’s shot was parried by Douglas and Derlei slotted the ball in to give Porto a 1–0 lead. This was also Derlei’s 11th goal in the competition which is 4 more than what he scored in the league. Porto didn´t hold the lead for long. In the 47th minute of the game, Larsson met Agathe’s cross to direct a looping header in over the helpless Vítor Baía. Within just 5 minutes of Larsson goal, Deco made a tackle and slipped a through ball to Alenichev which he ends up scoring. 3 minutes after another goal in the game. Celtic levels with Alan Thompson’s corner, which Larsson took advantage of poor marking and makes a powerful header, 2-2. Deco was unstoppable in the game and Celtic was doing everything to stop him. The games end 2-2 in regular time.

Extra time was quickly done for Celtic when they get a red card in 96th-minute (Bobo Balde). Porto finally gets business done in the 115th minute as Derlei reacted quickest to a Douglas block in the 115th minute and rounded McNamara to make it 3–2, a silver goal which won the game. Nuno Valente gets a red card in the last minute. Porto ended their 16-year wait for a further European trophy.

Porto celebrates their victory of the UEFA Cup in 2003

2003–04 Season

The season of dreams for Porto started in the summer of 2003. Porto secures their first trophy before the season had started against Leiria in the Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira. The game ended 1-0 to Porto after Costinha scored a beautiful header in the 53rd minute.



Porto afterwards played in the UEFA Super Cup against AC Milan (Champions League winner the year before.). Porto lost 1-0 to Milan after Shevchenko scored.

Porto’s season in the league was absolutely amazing. Winning the league with the same record as last season. Porto won the league with 8 points in front of Benfica. Porto home record was perfect, when I say perfect I mean perfect. Porto’s record at Estádio do Dragão (My favourite stadium in football) was 17-0-0 which couldn´t get any better.



Can it get more beautiful than this? (Estádio do Dragão)

Benni McCarthy was the top scorer with 20 goals and he also won the Silver Boot (Top scorer of the Portuguese league). Derlei had 13 goals in the league and Valente had the most assists with 5 in the season from left back. Deco didn´t have outstanding stats, but trust me he was amazing for Porto this season. His stat line was 2 goals and 4 assists which doesn´t sound like much. Porto lost only two times away from home. Porto’s defence was amazing and they conceded only 19 goals, 9 less than Benfica.



After Porto had won the league, they also had a cup final to play. Taça de Portugal’s final was between Porto and Benfica. The match was played on 16 May 2004 at the Estádio Nacional in Oeiras. Benfica won the game 2-1 after an overtime win. The goal that made the game even was the greek fullback Takis Fyssas from Benfica. The winning goal was scored in the 104th minute from the great Portuguese Simão from Benfica. Porto´s goal was scored by Derlei.



The Champions League for Porto starts in the group stage with Real Madrid, Marseille and Partizan in group F. The group was easy for Real Madrid and Porto. Real Madrid top the group with 14 points and 0 lost games. Real Madrid’s most important win was against Porto in Estádio do Dragão, the game ended 1-3 to the Galácticos(Zidane was out of this world in this game). Porto played a draw (1-1) at Real Madrid home stadium. Both Porto and Real Madrid played to draws at Partizan’s home stadium (Partizan Stadium). Marseille lost both games against Porto and Real Madrid, but luckily for them, they got 4 points out of Partizan.



This was the first year without a second group stage. This year the teams were going directly to the knockout round. Porto was second in the group, which means that they were meeting a group winner. The challenge they got was extremely tough as it was against Manchester United.



The first leg was at Porto’s stadium. Manchester United came out strong from the start after Scholes’ shot a screamer of a free kick and the rebound landed with Fortune and he scored to make it 1-0 after 14 minutes. 15 minutes later Porto levels the game after Deco makes a great cross into Benni McCarthy, Benni hits the volley and scores, 1-1. In the 76th minute, Porto closes the party after a beautiful header from Benni McCarthy. It gets even worse for United after Roy Keane stepped on the Porto keeper Victor Baia and get shown the red card.



The second leg would be remembered for many years. Porto went to Old Trafford with an okay result in 2-1. Manchester United again come out strong from the start after a great cross from O´Shea into the box, with Scholes connecting his head with the ball to the 1-0 goal. Manchester United was still in front until the 90th minute after a beautiful free kick from Benni McCarthy gets saved by Howard, but Costinha was waiting on the rebound and scored to 1-1. Which means Porto was through to quarterfinals in the Champions League. Most remembered thing from the game was still Mourinho celebration after the goal, running down the sideline.



Porto was lucky in the quarterfinals to get Lyon. Lyon was also good, but less scary than the other teams in the quarterfinals. Lyon had some really good players in Coupet, Juninho, and Essien.



First Leg was at Porto’s home stadium (Estádio do Dragão). There were 46.000 people at the stadium for the game. Porto fans got everything they wanted from the game. It all starts in the 44th minute after Benni shoots the ball from Deco and the ball went in, which means Porto have a 1-0 lead. The stadium is on fire after their golden boy scores. The second goal in the game was made by “The Golden Boy” again after a beautiful cross from a free kick into Ricardo Carvalho and he heads it in. The end result is 2-0 to Porto going into the second leg.



Second Leg, Lyon needs to do something big, but that hope ended very fast for Lyon after Deco creates the chance for Maniche to make easy goal and Porto is 1-0 up. Luyindula scores to make it 1-1 in the 14th minute after a good cross from his teammate. This gave little hope for Lyon. But Deco ends that hope in the 47th minute after he makes a great cross into Maniche and he scores his second goal in the game. Elber levels the game in the 90th minute, but nobody cared.



Maniche happiness at this moment is out of this world.

Porto was now in the semifinal in the Champions League, this time Porto meets Deportivo de La Coruña (a story about Super Depor). These games were intense but without many goals.



First Leg, this game ends goalless, but there were many things happening on the pitch. Porto was pressing Deportivo the whole game, but Deportivo had also some chances, however, the game ends 0-0 into the second leg in Deportivo.



The second Leg was as tactical as last game until Cesar Martin makes a dumb tackle on Deco and Collina awarded Porto with a penalty and Derlei sends it in. The rest of the game Deportivo is trying to get the goal and they are also close to getting it, but 1 goal isn´t enough for Deportivo. After 90 played, Porto ended up winning the game 1-0 against Deportivo. Mourinho shows his tactical brilliance in these semifinals. Porto was through to the final.



Porto got Monaco in the finals after Monaco sent Chelsea out of the Champions League with a 3-1 at home and 2-2 away.

The 2004 UEFA Champions League Final was a football match played at the Arena AufSchalke in Gelsenkirchen. Monaco is in their first European final ever. Porto was for the second time in their history in the Champions League final since 1987. Porto were the favourites after eliminating Manchester United, but Monaco had eliminated Real Madrid and Chelsea. After much speculation, Ludovic Giuly started in the central attacking position, and this came as a shock for Porto. Giuly had four times in the opening three minutes where his pace nearly caught Porto cold. Sadly for Monaco, it was to be nothing more than a cameo from Ludovic Giuly as he gets injured in the 22nd minute. This was the beginning of the end for Monaco in the final as in the 39th minute, Paulo Ferreira’s central pass was a lofted one and it found Carlos Alberto and Porto was 1-0 up. In the 71st minute, Deco breaks clear and find Alenichev on the left. Alenichev put the ball straight back into the playmaker’s path and Deco stroked home Porto’s second. 4 minutes later Porto gets business done and this time it was Derlei who breaks free. He finds Alenichev courtesy of a cross that deflects off Sébastien Squillaci, by now on for Gaël Givet. Alenichev needs no second invitation as he drives the third nail in Monaco’s coffin. Porto becomes champions of Europe for the second time their history.

Tactics

Mourinho is a special type of coach. Mourinho has always played with 3 or more midfielder for his whole coaching career to this point. With Porto, Mourinho used a 4-4-2 diamond formation with Deco as the diamond on the team (AM). Using this formation, Mourinho would have extremely offensive backs in Valente and Ferreira. This system is made for players like Cancelo and Marcelo of today´s football. When the backs are going forward their 3 holding midfielders would cover for them. The backs are close to playing as wingers which means that stamina is a key part of his back. The part of this tactics is that it can switch from ultra offensive to ultra defensive in no time. When Porto needed to hold onto the lead, they could say that the backs should stay back and then he will park the bus.



Mourinho’s masterwork

The 4-4-2 diamond isn´t anything new to the football world. The formation was commonly used by a lot of teams. The big thing with the Porto is the 3 defensive midfielders. They were extremely effective for Porto. Costinha was at times an extra CB for Porto. Costinha used short passes to make the game have pace. The midfield would work as a unit. The last midfielder had a free role and is the creator of the team. In this case, it is Deco that is having this role of freedom. Deco made every vital offensive decision. Deco is the biggest star for Porto and is Mourinho favourite player, Mourinho has ever coached, maybe after Fellaini. If Deco was good in the game, the offensive would be on fire.



Mourinho switches his strikers around very often, especially Derlei and Carlos Alberto. The reasoning was Carlos Alberto (Secondary striker) and Derlei (Get in behind, striker) were different types of players. Benni McCarthy and Derlei were both players that want to beat the offside line. All the strikers were made to make space for Deco and give him options to pass to them. All strikers are born to play contra football, which was Mourinho main style of playing when they were the underdog in the Champions League.



Mourinho greatest tactical move of the team is the defensive line. Mourinho was to make the offside trap was extremely effective. They were extremely aggressive every time and force the opponent to take dumb passes. Very unlike Mourinho, the defence stands high on the pitch to make the offside trap easier. Luckily for Mourinho, there none of his defenders were slow, not even Ricardo Carvalho. Ricardo hasn´t yet become slow. Ricardo was 25-26 years old. The defence was also very flexible and could easily go to park the bus mode if necessary.



Benni was in front of Carlos Alberto tho.

The star of the team: Deco “O mágico”

Stats of FC Porto from season 03–04 from Transfermarkt.com