Rabat – Morocco assistant coach Joao Sacramento has credited Jose Mourinho as the man who inspired him to pursue a career in football coaching, describing the Portuguese manager as both his role model and one of the defining influences on his professional journey.
Speaking in an interview with Portuguese broadcaster Record, Sacramento reflected on his long-standing admiration for Mourinho, revealing that his fascination with coaching began while watching the veteran tactician’s early years in Portuguese football.
“I feel deeply grateful to Mr. Mourinho because he gave me the opportunity to work alongside my role model,” Sacramento said. “If I am a coach today, it is because Mourinho himself inspired me to become one.”
Sacramento explained that he followed Mourinho’s career from his first spell at Benfica before witnessing his rise with Porto, where he guided the club to UEFA Cup and UEFA Champions League glory in consecutive seasons.
“I grew up watching Mourinho shine,” he said. “When he arrived at Benfica, it left a huge impression on me. From that moment, I started looking at coaching differently. Before that, it didn’t really interest me, but his charisma sparked something inside me.”
He added that Mourinho’s success at Porto cemented that inspiration, saying he watched every match as the coach established himself as one of Europe’s leading managers before moving to Chelsea.
Years later, Sacramento would go on to work directly under the man who inspired him; he joined Mourinho’s coaching staff at Tottenham Hotspur in 2019 before following him to AS Roma.
“Finding myself working alongside the person I admired most is something I will always be thankful for,” Sacramento said. “I can honestly say I worked with the greatest coach in the history of Portuguese football.”
At just 36 years old, Sacramento has already built an impressive coaching resume despite never having enjoyed a professional playing career. Beginning in scouting and performance analysis, he worked with Cardiff City, the Wales national team and AS Monaco before progressing into elite coaching roles.
After leaving Mourinho’s staff, he also worked alongside Christophe Galtier at Paris Saint-Germain and later at Al-Duhail in Qatar before joining Morocco’s national team setup.
Sacramento is now part of the coaching staff guiding the Atlas Lions as Morocco continues to strengthen its position among world football’s leading nations.
His comments have also resonated with supporters, offering a glimpse into the personal journey behind one of the national team’s rising coaching figures.
