It’s a month since Jose Mourinho was sacked by Manchester United. The team which he left behind have gone from strength to strength on the pitch under caretaker boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer but what about Mourinho? The Portuguese manager is one of the most successful in history with league titles in four different countries. Go back a few years and he had the pick of any club in world football but now, things are different. Here are some of the clubs and countries which could be a good fit for Mourinho.
Inter Milan
Of the seven clubs Jose Mourinho has managed, perhaps none still hold as much fondness for him as Inter Milan does at every level. The Portuguese boss’s time in Italy was swift but unerringly successful with that incredible treble success in his final season.
“Great respect remains for Mourinho,” said Inter director Piero Ausilio in a recent interview before downplaying the reports.
“But of course, that has nothing to do with Inter’s immediate future because Inter have a great coach and are absolutely going forward with this coach.”
Luciano Spalletti is the coach in question and it’s fair to say that Inter Milan aren’t performing as well as expected. They sit third in the Serie A table but after spending big in the summer, the pressure is on Internazionale to close the fourteen-point gap with Juventus. Surely, this one is dependent on Spalletti’s performance during the remainder of the season.
Paris Saint-Germain
Thomas Tuchel is eight months into his reign as Paris Saint-Germain manager and his team are playing extremely well. PSG are yet to lose a Ligue 1 match all season and finished top of their group in the Champions League. It is clear that the owners of the French giants are far more concerned about success in the latter competition than the former.
Results in the Champions League will surely define Tuchel’s success as manager of the French champions. It’s a hugely difficult competition to win but Jose Mourinho has managed to win it twice with two different teams. If PSG happen to crash out in the next round against, ironically, Manchester United then the French club’s hierarchy could view the free agent Mourinho as an attractive prospect.
Neymar, Kylian Mbappe, Edinson Cavani, Dani Alves, Thiago Silva, and Gianluigi Buffon make up an impressive team but surely, one which is difficult to manage. Mourinho is no stranger to handling big-name players after his time at Manchester United and Real Madrid so perhaps this is a good fit. There is also the logistical benefit to Mourinho with his family settled in London, just a short train journey away from Paris.
Portugal National Team
It has always felt inevitable that Jose Mourinho will one day manage the Portuguese National Team but it may be too soon for either party. Mourinho has said in the past that he would like to end his career by managing his country and right now, it’s doubtful whether Portugal would even want him. Head coach Fernando Santos has guided his country to success in the 2016 European Championships, semi-final spots in the Confederations Cup and UEFA Nations League as well as a World Cup quarter-final in 2018. Appointing Jose Mourinho would be a strange move right now.
Chinese Super League
He wouldn’t be the first big-name figure to swap Europe for Asia and the Chinese Super League certainly has the economic clout to satisfy Mourinho’s demands. The Portuguese manager confirmed in 2017 that he had been approached by a Chinese Super League side but had turned down their advances. It is purely speculative but this could be an option with the 2019 season set to begin in China in March.
Real Madrid
If recent reports are to be believed, a return to Real Madrid is the likeliest next step for Jose Mourinho. The Portuguese boss spent three seasons at the Santiago Bernabeu, winning the Copa Del Rey and one La Liga title during a fierce rivalry with Pep Guardiola’s FC Barcelona. Of course, Mourinho returned to his former club, Chelsea back in 2014 and recently said it would be “a huge honour” to return to the Bernabeu.
“When a coach or player returns to a club, it means they did something positive,” Mourinho told Correio da Manha. “That’s how I felt when I went back to Chelsea.”
“When a professional returns or is invited to return to a club, it’s a great honour. If you’re asked back, it’s because they know your worth.”
Madrid are struggling this season. They sit ten points behind FC Barcelona in the table and are a massive 14/1 outsider to win La Liga this season on Betway as of 15 January 2019. Manager Julen Lopetgui was sacked by Madrid less than five months after leaving the Spanish National Team on the eve of the World Cup but form has barely improved under new boss Santiago Scolari. This seems like the likeliest fit for Jose Mourinho.
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