Former Man United coach and Jose Mourinho’s right-hand man dies at 67 as tributes from players flood in
Silvino Louro, the Portuguese goalkeeping coach who served as Jose Mourinho’s right-hand man for more than 20 years, has died at the age of 67 following a prolonged illness.
News of his passing emerged on Thursday evening, prompting an outpouring of tributes from across the football world.
The former Benfica and Portugal goalkeeper built his coaching reputation by accompanying Mourinho through some of European football’s most prestigious clubs.
Their partnership began at Porto before continuing through spells at Chelsea, Inter Milan, Real Madrid and finally Manchester United, where Louro arrived in 2016.
Throughout this remarkable journey, the duo collected silverware at every destination, establishing Louro as one of the most decorated specialist coaches in the modern game.
Louro’s influence on elite goalkeepers proved exceptional, with three of his charges earning Uefa’s Best Goalkeeper accolade during their time working together.
Vitor Baia claimed the honour in 2004 whilst at Porto, followed by Petr Cech who received the recognition twice at Chelsea in 2005 and 2007.
Julio Cesar completed the trio when he was named Europe’s finest shot-stopper in 2010 during Inter Milan’s treble-winning campaign.
Silvino Louro has died at the age of 67 following a prolonged illness
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Both Baia and Cesar featured in Champions League-winning sides under Louro’s guidance.
At Manchester United, he oversaw a goalkeeping department that included David de Gea, Sergio Romero, Sam Johnstone and Joel Pereira.
His work with Johnstone proved particularly fruitful, with the young keeper later earning recognition for England.
During his time at Real Madrid from 2010 to 2013, Louro also worked alongside Iker Casillas.
Silvino Louro served as Jose Mourinho’s right-hand man for more than 20 years
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Former players moved swiftly to honour Louro’s memory on social media.
Cech shared an Instagram story image of the pair embracing during their Chelsea days, simply captioned “R.I.P.” and featuring emojis.
John Terry, who captained Chelsea throughout that era, posted a photograph of Louro with the message: “RIP My friend. What a great man,” alongside a blue heart.
De Gea offered his own understated tribute, posting a heart and dove emoji in recognition of his former coach.
News of his passing emerged on Thursday evening, prompting an outpouring of tributes from across the football world
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GETTY
Timothy Fosu-Mensah, who played alongside De Gea at Old Trafford, responded to the news with two heartbroken emojis.
Manchester United said their thoughts were with his family and friends, noting he had been part of the squad that lifted three trophies in 2016/17, including the FA Community Shield, League Cup and Europa League.
Real Madrid’s statement expressed deep regret from the club, its president, and its board of directors, highlighting the La Liga title, Copa del Rey, and Supercopa de España won during his three seasons there.
Inter Milan conveyed their condolences to his family, whilst Benfica described him as “a striking figure of a generation that greatly honoured the badge on their chest”.
Porto paid a poignant tribute on Thursday night, declaring that Diogo Costa’s clean sheet against Stuttgart “honoured Silvino’s memory”.
