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Jose Mourinho Hints Next Job Will Be as a National Team Manager
June 19, 2019
Jose Mourinho has hinted his next job will be as a national team manager rather than with another club.
The Portuguese boss has not been in work since he left Manchester United in December 2018 after overseeing the club's worst-ever Premier League start:
His remarkable record as a league champion in four different countries and a two-time UEFA Champions League winner means he remains sought-after.
And Mourinho has said he is eager to compete for trophies he has not won before, potentially in the international arena, per Eleven Sports (h/t Sky Sports): "I want to compete in new competitions. I think about the World Cup and the European Championships. For a long time I have had the desire to try out such an adventure. Right now, I see myself more at a national team than with a new club."
The obvious international job for Mourinho would be with his native Portugal.
He has been linked with the role before, but he told GQ magazine's Paul Henderson a year ago he was "not close" to being tired of club management.
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That may well have changed now, but when asked about the Portugal job, he said it is "not necessarily" the right one for him, per Eleven Sports.
There are likely a number of national federations whose interest will have been piqued by Mourinho's latest comments.
His reputation suffered a blow during his time at United as he failed to challenge for the Premier League title with the Old Trafford giants:
But he is still regarded among the world's best, and managers of his calibre rarely work in international football any more.
It would be no surprise if some high-profile South American jobs become available after the 2019 Copa America.
Mourinho could still return to club management. Before Zinedine Zidane was reappointed as Real Madrid manager back in March, Mourinho was touted as a possible candidate to return to the Santiago Bernabeu.
Per Eleven Sports, he has not closed the door on returning to club management, outlining he still has ambitions on that level: "Winning a fifth championship in a different country or the Champions League with a third club are things I'd like to do. I wouldn't do it just for that. I only go where a project convinces me."