The festive period in 2019 will always be tinged with a hint of sadness for the Mourinho clan.
Mourinho's dog dies on Christmas Eve
In an episode of the documentary All or Nothing: Tottenham Hotspur, the then-Spurs boss sat in front of his players and poured his heart out about his dog's death.
"Some of you maybe think I am just an idiot," Mourinho said. "But the reality is that I'm dead because my dog died. My dog died and I'm fuck**. Deeply fuck**."
The dog, named Leya, was the same four-legged friend that led to Mourinho's arrest in May 2007. Mourinho was held by police after two officers and an animal health official paid a visit to his home in London to take Leya away.
The official intended to quarantine the dog having believed it was taken abroad and then back to England without having been vaccinated. However, a spokesperson for Mourinho, who only received a caution for obstructing police, later stated the situation was simply a 'misunderstanding.'
"Jose Mourinho can confirm that he was cautioned by police, and released without charge earlier this morning after an incident involving his pet dog," the spokesperson said. "The incident occurred due to a misunderstanding over documents required for veterinary regulations."
Although the loss of Leya left Mourinho and his family heartbroken, he at least had something to smile about two days after as Tottenham beat Brighton 2-1 on Boxing Day in 2019.
