What Manchester United Fans Need to Know About Jose Mourinho’s Backroom Staff

Jose Mourinho’s backroom staff were officially unveiled by Manchester United on 7 July. For the third time in four years, their arrival signified a complete overhaul behind the scenes at Carrington and Old Trafford.

After years of relative stability and occasional individual promotions or departures under Sir Alex Ferguson, the three managers who followed him have each elected to bring their preferred backroom team with them.

That was a fairly controversial move when it involved David Moyes getting rid of Rene Meulensteen, for example, but this time, with the possible exception of Ryan Giggs’ departure, it is a little more run-of-the-mill. This time new manager Mourinho is replacing Louis van Gaal stalwarts like Albert Stuivenberg with his own people.

But who are the men tasked with assisting the Portuguese manager in his new duties? Let’s take a look at who he has brought with him to Old Trafford.

Rui Faria

Rui Faria will likely be the most familiar name among the new United staff. He is Mourninho’s most trusted lieutenant, part of his backroom team at Uniao de Leiria, Porto, Chelsea (twice), Inter and Real Madrid.

When Mourinho’s second spell at Chelsea began, he said of Faria, per Chelsea TV (h/t Daily Mail), “‘Rui as we know is my methodology right arm, the guy that understands best my information and the way I work. He’s been with me since the beginning, the same as Silvino [of whom more later].”

Jose Mourinho and Rui Faria at Lowry Hotel in Manchester #MUFC pic.twitter.com/0rD5sVUhst

— Manchester United (@ManUtdUpdates_) July 9, 2016

In an interview with BT Sport (h/t Joe.ie), Mourinho was asked about former members of his staff who have gone on to become managers. He replied, “The one that has more potential than any other one, the one that if he wants to become a manager tomorrow he is more than ready to do it at the highest level […] is my assistant, Rui Faria.”

Given Mourinho’s “in the boat or off it” style of management, as outlined by Jason Burt of the Telegraph, it is clear that Faria is committed to his role, and to Mourinho. They have navigated a lot of choppy waters together, and the level of trust required for Mourinho to keep someone by his side since 2001 speaks volumes.

On 8 July, Liam Twomey of ESPN FC wrote: 

Faria’s main remit is still as a fitness coach, tasked with devising ways to maintain the peak condition of players and minimise the risk of injuries. But over time his role has broadened as Mourinho’s trust in him has grown, and in recent years he has also regularly advised his manager on tactical and strategic matters both on and off the pitch.

It is fair to call him a controversial figure. He is fairly combustible, getting sent to the stands when Chelsea played Sunderland in April 2014 after an explosion of rage, for example. In 2010, Emily Benammar wrote in an article for the Telegraph: 

Though serving a touchline ban for Chelsea’s Champions League quarter-final clash with Bayern Munich in 2005, Mourinho’s fitness coach Rui Faria was seen wearing a woolly hat and often scratching his ear, raising …

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