Michel Preud'homme handed Jose Mourinho his first managerial job at Benfica after being impressed by the Portuguese's work alongside Louis van Gaal, the Club Brugge manager told The Sun ahead of Tuesday's Champions League encounter against the Dutchman's Manchester United side.
Mourinho was Van Gaal's assistant at Barcelona before the now-Manchester United boss' exit from the Camp Nou in 2000.
Preud'homme's Brugge side travel to Old Trafford on Tuesday in the first leg of their Champions League playoff, and the Belgian has revealed how he went about bringing Mourinho to Benfica in 2000.
Preud'Homme said: "Yes, I took Mourinho from Van Gaal. I had given the profiles of four candidates to the president. We looked at them and we decided to take Jose.
"Of course, I was the one who proposed Jose to be the manager also after he came to the club. It's a good story. It was his first job as manager and after that he became the great Mourinho.
"I met him when I went to Barcelona once on behalf of Benfica. We had a common friend but I didn't know Jose at the time -- I had just seen him on the bench next to Van Gaal.
"We spoke about football and it was really impressive -- his ideas, his knowledge.
"I think six months later the moment came and I said maybe we'll give a chance to a coach who hasn't coached yet -- Jose."
Regarding his side's chances of beating United and advancing to the Champions League group stage, Preud'homme added: "If we execute certain instructions well, then we have a chance against United."