'In Portugal, Jose's even bigger than George Bush'

Speaking at SIC's headquarters in Lisbon Pedro, a tanned, good-looking 33-year-old bearing a slight resemblance to Mark Bosnich, said: "This is a unique opportunity to chat with the most powerful man in football and the world will be watching. In Portugal we're proud of Luis Figo because he's been our best player in recent years and he's an example of success, but compared to Jose he's a minor thing.

"He's more powerful than presidents or players. The other day I overheard a conversation between two kids on the street and one of them said, 'Mourinho is the most important guy in the world.' They're only kids and don't have a real sense of perspective, but you can see he's valued highly. They think he's more powerful than George W Bush.

"There's a very strange thing happening with youngsters at the moment. Three years ago they wanted to be like Figo and Rui Costa, but now they want to be like Mourinho. They don't want to be players they want to be trainers, which has never happened before."

Everyone wants to be like him. They are also eager to hear him speak. In the midst of his ongoing war with UEFA, internal problems at Chelsea and contract talks Mourinho has been unusually reticent recently but his silence is about to be shattered.

The 42-year-old has transformed the world of football in the last three years and Pedro believes he can have a similar impact on the media.

He said: "During Euro 2004 Jose commentated on Portugal v Spain and the television company got an 80 per cent audience share. It was the decisive game in the group, of course, and the nation was always going to be glued to the television but Mourinho brought something different. He brought a different perception of football, a new vision that other commentators don't possess, and the public have wanted to hear him speak since then.

"We'll get a minimum of One million viewers and between 30-40 per cent audience share. Our short interview last month received a 37 per cent audience share and we're hoping for similar figures. People will listen to anything he says."

Pedro admits he only got this job because of his surname, but the link between the two may be stronger than he realises. Mourinho is a very unusual name in Portugal and there is a distinct possibility that tonight's interviewer and interviewee could be related.

Pedro said: "Mourinho is not a common name in Portugal and when we first met he actually thought we were cousins. That's still a doubt we have. He told me there was only one family called Mourinho in Portugal and we must be distant relations.

"I met him after at the UEFA Cup Final in Seville against Celtic. We didn't know each other personally but he gave me a hug and asked 'Are we cousins?' What do you say to that?

"Since then we've been together twice, on the beach in the Algarve two years ago and in London last month. We were together on the beach and had lots of time to chat.

"He told me Porto were going to win the Champions League that season! His confidence was extraordinary, even then. When I was in London one month ago it was the same. I went to his house and he received me with a big hug."

Pedro hopes to show his viewers the more human side of Mourinho, whom he insists is far removed from the arrogant war-monger of his public image.

He added: "In his profession Jose's a very ambitious guy with lots of will to win, but I know the other side of his character. He's a very normal guy who laughs a lot and talks about anything.

"He's always in a good mood on a personal level, very different to his image. He has a character for football which is very different from the real Jose.

"It's his way of working. Most people are different at work to the way they are at home."