Meet Mourinho's Three Knights in His Coaching Staff

Jose Mourinho continues to prepare for his anticipated return to Real Madrid, as Spanish reports revealed that the Portuguese coach will bring with him his entire close technical circle from Benfica, as part of the new project expected at Santiago Bernabeu.

Joao Tralhao is considered Mourinho's right-hand man, the first assistant and the person he trusts the most. To clarify, he led the press conference at Santiago Bernabeu this season during the UEFA Champions League when Mourinho was suspended for the second leg of the playoff.

Although Mourinho could speak, he decided not to appear or talk, leaving the task to Tralhao on February 25, where the latter sat on the bench instead of him. Tralhao is known for his calm personality and few words, away from the spotlight, but he has a long career worthy of being told in a book.

Tralhao began his work at Benfica Academy in 2002 and remained there for 16 years, during which he reached coaching the youth team and led them to the UEFA Youth League final twice, losing both finals to Barcelona in 2014 with a score of 3-0, and to Red Bull Salzburg in 2017 with a score of 2-1. During his work in developing Benfica's talents, he contributed to refining prominent names like Bernardo Silva, Renato Sanches, Joao Felix, and Guedes.

In 2018, he left Benfica to start his own career, working as an assistant to Thierry Henry in Monaco, but it was a short experience after they were both dismissed after only three months. In 2020, he became the head coach of Vilafranquense in the Portuguese second division.

Then his real journey of transitions began. In 2023, he became an assistant to Nuri Sahin at Antalyaspor in Turkey, staying there for five months before accompanying him to Borussia Dortmund in 2024 for another seven months. After these short stints, he took his current position as Mourinho's first assistant, working with him at Fenerbahce in 2025 and then following him to Benfica this season. Madrid is not a strange city to him, as he worked during 2023 and 2024 as a professor in the football coaching and sports management program of the Real Madrid Graduate School, and now he will become the assistant coach within the royal club.

As for Pedro Machado, he is the second name and is considered Mourinho's left hand, with a more itinerant career. He began working in the youth teams of Paredes and Friamunde, then worked as a physical trainer for four years with several clubs like Espinho, Friamunde, Santa Clara, Pacos Ferreira, and Coimbra.

After that, he returned to the role of assistant coach, moving between Famalicao, Leixoes, and Chaves. In one notable coincidence, he took the assistant position at Vilafranquense after Tralhao left coaching the team in March 2021, then became the head coach for several Portuguese clubs like Friamunde, Villa Mia, Anadia, Sao Joao de Ver, Oliveira do Hospital, and Coimbra.

In September 2024, he decided to pause for ten months before receiving a call from Mourinho in 2025 to join him at Fenerbahce alongside Tralhao, then accompany him to Benfica, and now to Real Madrid.

The third confirmed name in the technical staff is Roberto Mirella, but his role is different, as he will be the team's technical analyst. Mirella has been working with Mourinho for years, having previously worked for two seasons with Inter and then a season with Hellas Verona before meeting Mourinho in Rome in 2022 during the Portuguese coach's second season there.

Since then, he has become one of Mourinho's closest associates, later accompanying him to Fenerbahce, then Benfica, and now to Real Madrid. Mirella is 37 years old and is regarded as the analytical and strategic mind within Mourinho's staff.

These are Mourinho's three knights so far, the names that will accompany him on the benches of Santiago Bernabeu for the next two seasons, with the possibility of adding a third season according to the contract terms.