As Graham wrote back in May 2015, just as Chelsea and José Mourinho were about to wrap up their third Premier League title together, and we learned of José’s father, José Mourinho Félix undergoing surgery following a stroke, it’s easy to forget that football personalities exist outside the game. And that’s even more true now that José’s no longer “one of us”.
He may be our enemy on the football pitch these days, but he’ll always be a part of Chelsea Football Club. He remains, after all, our greatest manager of all-time. And on a human level, our thoughts are certainly with him in such a though time.
As confirmed by reports in Portugal, Félix Mourinho had been suffering from a “prolonged illness” — whether that’s related to the stroke and the following extended recovery in 2015 (around which José did try to put on a brave face just as the waves started crashing over him and his time at Chelsea was drawing to a close) is unknown. Félix Mourinho was a football man himself, who also went into coaching after a 20-year career as a goalkeeper (talents, that José’s son, currently at Fulham’s Academy has inherited as well).
"I know what life is. I know that in the end, what matters is the family and my family is top."
We send our heartfelt condolences to José Mourinho and his family.