whatever happens when Chelsea look to cement their position on top of
the Premier League with a statement victory at Manchester United on
Sunday.
Mourinho has never hidden his distain for some of his managerial
rivals, with Arsenal's Arsene Wenger and Aston Villa's Paul Lambert
crossing swords with the Chelsea boss already this season, and the
prospect of a crucial clash with a team capable of ending his side's
unbeaten start would usually bring out the antagonist in the
Portuguese coach.
Yet there should be a refreshing lack of animosity on the sidelines at
Old Trafford this weekend, however heated the action becomes on the
pitch, because Mourinho and United manager van Gaal have a bond that
dates back 17 years to the day their paths first crossed at Barcelona.
Mourinho, then labouring in anonymity as a translator and assistant to
Barcelona manager Bobby Robson, was kept on by van Gaal when he took
over at the Nou Camp and earned the trust of his new boss to such an
extent that he was allowed to take training sessions and give
team-talks.
Van Gaal saw a kindred spirit in Mourinho, who like the Dutchman is an
obsessive workaholic who had trained as a PE teacher, and the two men
lived only 15 metres from each other in an apartment block, often
meeting around their dining tables to talkfootball.
The partnership lasted until Mourinho left to start his managerial
career with Benfica in 2000 and the ties between the pair remain
strong, with Mourinho paying tribute to his mentor when asked about
van Gaal's influence on him.
"As a young coach to be working with Louis at a club like Barcelona
was very important," Mourinho said.
"Everybody knows the respect I have for him. I never hide the respect,
the relationship and the fact he was an important influence in my
career.
"He knows what I feel about him. The world knows, because I never
hide. What can I add?"
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