In the crowd of haters and critics there are still people who will extend a hand to the Portuguese.

Deco

A key player in Porto mid-2000s worked with Mourinho for two seasons - nine games in all - but he still praises Jose and calls him a friend. Thanks to Mourinho, Deco became the number one star in Europe: in the 2003/04 season, the Portuguese won awards to the most useful player of the Champions League and the best midfielder of the tournament. Bayern, Real and Barcelona claimed for the Deco, but the playmaker openly said that he would join Chelsea after Jose - the clubs had already agreed. But Barça, as always, intervened and bartered Deco for 15 million euros and Ricardo Quaresma. Thanks to the progress that Deco achieved with Mourinho, the playmaker took second place in the vote for the Golden Ball in 2004, losing only to Andriy Shevchenko and ahead of Ronaldinho.

“Working with Mourinho was awesome. I learned so much. It was a long time ago, and people say that Jose has changed a lot. And others say that he has not changed at all. We have always had excellent relationships, and we are still friends, - ”told the 41-year-old Deco.

Marco Materazzi

Inter's defender is known for two incompatible stories: Marco ended Zidane’s career with a dirty provocation and sobbed on Mourinho’s shoulder when Jose left Inter. The coach was almost gone, but he stopped the car, ran to the player, and both burst into tears. Hooligan Materazzi, who broke the legs of his rivals, found his second father in Mourinho.

“Thanks to Mourinho, I won everything that can be won. When you want to learn something, you have to deal with sincere people who speak your face. Over the years of working with Mourinho, I found a friend, after whose departure emptiness remains",-Materazzi very powerfully and sincerely described his attitude to Jose.

Rui Faria

Permanent assistant. Best friend. The man who passed the whole career with Mourinho. Like Jose, Rui never played football professionally and learned to be a Physical Supervisor at the university. Faria came for an internship at Barcelona and immediately became friends with Jose, who helped Louis van Gaal. When Mourinho headed “União de Leiria”, he called his friend to trainer on physical training. They also went to Porto together. And since then, a couple of Portuguese have won titles at every club. Now Jose will have to row one - Rui left the “MU” in May. But this relationship does not hurt.

“When I left with a heavy heart, I first talked with José about friendship, about relationships, which, of course, would not end. But they will be different. Life has no rehearsals - you only live once. Now I just want to be a father: to have breakfast with children every morning, and to have dinner every evening. And listen to them,” - Faria explained.

Aitor Karanka

Rui Faria is the fourth assistant of Mourinho, who left for a big challenge after Andre Villas-Boas, Brendan Rogers and Aitor Karanka. The latter worked with José in Real Madrid for three seasons and really made friends with the Portuguese. They often have lunch together after José’s return to England and flatter each other in interviews.

“I am glad to see him. Very grateful to Mourinho and his team. I went to the Premier League because I learned a lot from them. We are really good friends, we have excellent relations,”- Karanka said before the match, Middlesbrough with MU. Mourinho, as always, answered acidly: "It would be better to have a drink with my real friend before the match, because one of us will have a dull face later."

Alvaro Arbeloa

Jose Mourinho does not work in clubs longer than three seasons - everything ends the same way: the dressing room is up against him, and then the dismissal follows. But in each club the Portuguese has a true friend. In the Real they became Arbeloa, who always and in all supported Jose. Once, Mourinho was deeply moved and called the defender an exceptional person and one of the most important players with whom he worked together.

Arbeloa also truly loves the former coach.

“I think this is the bravest man I met in football. You yourself get used to the pressure, but your family, your friends experience it worse. Many people then behaved ugly for the sake of playing in public, in the press. But protecting Mourinho didn't cost me anything. And I would do it again ” - said Alvaro. 

When the Madrid dressing room cracked, the Spaniard was not afraid to go against Ramos, Casillas and Ronaldo, taking the side of Jose.

John Terry

Mourinho achieved greater success when he forced the team to believe that the whole world - from the judges to God - turned against them. Best of all, this worked out with Chelsea, who is not loved in England, but recognize his accomplishments - as well as with Jose himself. Both terms with the Londoners for the Portuguese were fought by Petr Cech, Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba, but the friendship ensued with John Terry.

“Simple thanks are not enough. Sad, sad day. I'll miss you, boss. The best I worked with. Unforgettable memories together,” - wrote John, when Jose was fired for the second time. 

Together with Mourinho, Terry won three Premier League championships, three League Cups and Cup of England, became the captain of Chelsea and England.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic

José doesn’t get along with the players whom his enemy Mino Raiola represents - it was difficult with Balotelli, Mkhitaryan, and with Pogba - hell. Only Zlatan did not succumb to the brainwashing of the cunning fat man Raiola. Ibra made friends with Mourinho at Inter, but left a year before Jose produced a golden hat trick for Nerazzurri. In contrast with Pep Guardiola, the Swede fell in love with the Portuguese even more passionately. When in 2014, Chelsea beat PSG in the Champions League (2: 0), Ibra sneaked up behind Mourinho and scared him, and then lightly patted and hugged him.

When Ibra was preparing for the Euro-2008 matches, they brought him a phone and said that the new Inter coach wants to talk. Zlatan was surprised at first, and then it turned out that Jose called to wish good luck. The Portuguese spoke Italian, which in three weeks learned better than Zlatan over the years. Later, Mourinho met Zlatan's girlfriend, took her aside and gave instructions: feed, make sure that you get enough sleep and were pleased.

“When I played, I felt like a Terminator. I felt confident with him. It's like being a cat, but feeling like a lion,” - Ibra said on the eve of the transfer to “MU”. “For Jose, I'm ready to die, but Guardiola was a spineless coward,” - said a Swede in his autobiography.