Ahead of his return to lead Real Madrid for a second time, legendary soccer manager José Mourinho’s journey to greatness is highlighted in a new Netflix documentary series.
The three-part Mourinho — premiering Aug. 11 — was filmed over two years and features interviews with a roster of all-time greats, who shed light on the manager’s dominance on pitches across the globe.
“You don’t do a documentary with a guy that wins nothing,” Mourinho declares in the trailer.
The series tracks Mourinho’s ascension over nearly three decades of coaching to become one of the most decorated and outspoken managers in sports.
Set to make his second stint this season as La Liga powerhouse Real Madrid’s manager, José Mourinho is a coaching icon. During his illustrious career, “The Special One” has earned more than 25 major trophies and league championships in four countries, leading Chelsea, Inter Milan, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, Roma, and Porto, among other elite clubs around the world.
“José has been famous for so long, and has created such a powerful public persona, that people often feel they already know him,” Mourinho director Joe Pearlman tells Tudum. “They know the touchline confrontations, the trophies, the quotes and the controversies. But those things have almost become a mask. What I hope people see is the human being underneath all of that.”
Mourinho is the only manager to have won all three current UEFA club competitions: the UEFA Champions League (twice), the UEFA Europa League (twice), and the UEFA Conference League.
“His ambition is obviously enormous, but so is his sensitivity,” Pearlman continues. “He remembers everything. Every victory, every slight, every relationship and every betrayal. The qualities that made him extraordinary are often the same qualities that have made his life more complicated. I don’t think the series asks the audience to decide whether José is a hero or a villain. I hope they come away understanding why players would run through walls for him, why others found him impossible, and why, after everything he has achieved, he still seems to be fighting to prove himself.”
Zlatan Ibrahimović, Pep Guardiola, and José Mourinho
In addition to exclusive access to the iconic manager himself, Mourinho features interviews with André Villas-Boas, Claude Makelele, Didier Drogba, Eden Hazard, Frank Lampard, Iker Casillas, Javier Zanetti, John Terry, Luis Figo, Marcelo, Marco Materazzi, Massimo Moratti, Petr Čech, Peter Kenyon, Ricardo Carvalho, Rui Faria, Sami Khedira, Samuel Eto'o, Sir Alex Ferguson, and Zlatan Ibrahimović, among others.
Frank Lampard and José Mourinho
Mourinho was directed by BAFTA and Emmy-nominated director Joe Pearlman (Robbie Williams; Lewis Capaldi: How I’m Feeling Now) and produced by double Academy Award winner John Battsek (Beckham).
“He has spent decades constructing this incredibly powerful public version of himself: controlled, provocative, combative and seemingly untouchable,” Pearlman adds. “That persona has protected him, but it has also allowed people to reduce him to a collection of press conferences, arguments and headlines. Over the two years we filmed with him, there were moments when that armor dropped.”
Mourinho follows the recent releases of Emi Martínez: The Kid Who Stops Time, James., and Ronaldinho: The One and Only, which highlight the lives and careers of the Argentinean, Colombian, and Brazilian legends.
“The Special One” was previously featured in an episode of The Playbook, highlighting top coaches from across the sports landscape.
The critically acclaimed sports documentary series Untold expanded its borders to focus on the world of English soccer through the stories of unlikely Premier League legend Jamie Vardy, Liverpool’s miraculous 2005 Champions League–winning team, and controversial professional player turned actor Vinnie Jones.
Netflix is the Official Home of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027, exclusively broadcasting the tournament in the United States and Canada. Until then, explore “Your World Cup Warm-Up Watchlist” on the Netflix homepage, featuring stories from beyond the pitch.
