Jose Mourinho Refuses to Rule out Managing Another English Team After Chelsea

Jose Mourinho has suggested he may be willing to join another Premier League club after his second spell with Chelsea is complete, even though his "priority will always be" the Stamford Bridge club.

The Portuguese manager spoke ahead of his side's Champions League trip to face Sporting Lisbon. Questions toward Mourinho's potential future jobs are not uncommon, particularly when he's back in his home nation. He answered honestly when asked if he would join another English team, reported Martin Lipton of the Daily Mirror:

"

If it had to be, yes. My priority will always be Chelsea and I never think about the interest of others. But I know football and know I won’t be here five, eight, ten years if I don’t manage to win. Of course not. That’s not my essence as a coach, because I don’t like to live in those comfort zones. It doesn’t fit my personality.

"

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Mourinho added, "I will only leave when [Chelsea] want me to leave. There's no other country, club or investment that motivates me. I will only leave when Mr Abramovich calls me to tell me it's over." He also went on to say "we'll see" whether an English outfit comes calling at this point, a storyline that could fray his relationship with the Blues.

Currently in his second spell with the club, Mourinho won two Premier League titles, two League Cup titles, the FA Cup and Community Shield during his initial tenure between 2004-2007. He is yet to increase his silverware collection, having returned last year, but his Chelsea side are currently three points clear at the top of the English division with five wins and one draw from six games.

Only one other English side has looked capable of luring the former Real Madrid man, and that's Manchester United. Rumours went into overdrive once Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013, placing Mourinho as one of the favourites alongside David Moyes. While Moyes eventually got the job, United fans may be wondering if things would have gone so badly if Mourinho took over the Old Trafford hot seat.

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Spanish journalist Diego Torres, reporting via The Guardian, suggested Mourinho was heard to "sob loudly" when he found out he wasn't to succeed British football's most successful manager. The Telegraph's Jason Burt reported Sir Bobby Charlton called Mourinho "a really good coach" but stated "a United manager would not" attempt to poke former Barcelona manager Tito Vilanova in the eye.

Mourinho would be unlikely to receive one of the other top English jobs. His relationship with Arsenal remains sour after he labelled Arsene Wenger "a specialist in failure," reports The Guardian, while his continued war of words with Manuel Pellegrini ensures a stint at Manchester City is unlikely.

During his first spell with Chelsea, Mourinho also endured a difficult relationship with then-Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez, creating animosity between him and the Merseyside club. Perhaps Tottenham could be a viable choice, as the north London side generally have a decent budget to work with and have everything in place to be successful.

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Mourinho's association with Chelsea makes the prospect of him managing another English club difficult to acknowledge. It will be interesting to see how his mindset develops alongside his current reign. If things go badly at Chelsea and he is mistreated, the decision to join another Premier League side may become a whole lot easier. A revenge mission could certainly fuel Mourinho into accepting a rival post.

He is well-placed to take over the Portuguese national team at some point, a position he would like "to end" his career, reported by Yahoo Eurosport. 

Of course, when discussing further jobs in England, the Three Lions national team is also a post Mourinho has failed to rule out in the past. Either international job would offer an extremely tough examination of his management skills, as both nations have failed to live up to their potential in recent years.

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Mourinho is a smart one-to-one worker, someone who can get the best out of players by handing them responsibility. Perhaps his latest interview is hinting that, if given the opportunity, he would be willing to whip the English into shape before returning home.

He is destined for a long and successful second spell at Chelsea, but if things don't go to plan, Mourinho's presence in England may continue.