It may come as a surprise to some - particularly Arsene Wenger and Pep Guardiola - but Jose Mourinho has revealed how Sir Alex Ferguson inspired him to try to be a gracious manager. The Chelsea boss said in a wide-ranging interview with the Telegraph that the legendary Manchester United manager showed him 'two faces' during their first competitive meeting in 2004 - the first one of a steely rival and the second one of a sporting loser. Mourinho had just made his first impression on the Champions League by knocking out United with unfancied Porto. The Portuguese sprinted down the touchline at Old Trafford in an unforgettable celebration of Porto's last-gasp goal that sealed qualification and a seismic shock. Sir Alex Ferguson and Jose Mourinho formed a firm friendship despite being fierce rivals . Fergie's Manchester United were stunned by Mourinho's Porto in the Champions League in 2004 . Mourinho sprinted down the touchline in celebration at Porto's last-gasp goal that sealed qualification . 'That was when I felt the two faces of such a big man,' said Mourinho. 'The first face was the competitor, the man that tried everything to win. And after that I found the man with principles, with the respect for the opponent, with the fair play – I found these two faces in that period, and that was very important for me. 'In my culture, the Portuguese and the Latin culture, we don’t have that culture of the second face; we are in football to win and when we don’t there is not a second face most of the time. But when we beat United in the Champions League I got that beautiful face of a manager which I try to have myself. I try.' Mourinho has attracted controversy like no other manager in the modern game. His many spats with Wenger have seen him form a bitter rivalry with the Arsenal boss, with Mourinho's accusation in 2005 that the Frenchman is like 'a voyeur' perhaps being the moment their relationship hit an all-time low, from which it has never recovered. Mourinho claims to have learned respect from Ferguson, but he has had many spats with Arsene Wenger . He also had a frosty relationship with Pep Guardiola when the pair were rival managers in Spain . The 52-year-old, who looks set to claim his third Barclays Premier League title with Chelsea this season, also formed a spiteful relationship with Guardiola while the pair duelled for honours in Spain. Arguably Mourinho's lowest moment came in gouging the eye of Guardiola's assistant, Tito Vilanova, in the closing stages of a Spanish Super Cup defeat for Real Madrid against Barcelona. After the match he referred to 'Pito' Vilanova - using the Spanish slang for penis. A less surprising Mourinho revelation is that he has no close friends in English football. 'Some, we like each other and have some communication, but I cannot say so close,' he said.
Jose Mourinho has spoken about his first meeting with Sir Alex Ferguson . Mourinho's Porto beat Manchester United in the 2004 Champions League . The Portuguese says Fergie's respect in defeat has influenced him . Mourinho: I have a problem, I am getting better and better . READ: Mourinho sides with Arsene Wenger in Ballon d'Or opposition .