Since leaving AS Roma, José Mourinho is already preparing for his return. The Portuguese coach has some surprising conditions for his future endeavors.
With a UEFA Europa Conference League under his belt with AS Roma and a UEFA Europa League final appearance, José Mourinho left good memories at the Italian club. However, the mixed results in Serie A led to the end of his Roman adventure in mid-January.
For his third season with the Giallorossi, the Portuguese coach was shown the door, and naturally, various opportunities arose for him. While his name was linked to destinations like Saudi Arabia, particularly Al-Shabab, as well as Bayern Munich and Napoli, José Mourinho remains a sought-after figure in the coaching market. At 61, he’s eager to return to action, stating, “I have no club, I am free, but I want to work. Next summer, I want to work. A return to Portugal? Football is my life; I can coach anywhere.”
Despite his career possibly moving him away from the most prestigious clubs, Mourinho knows he’ll still have options and has outlined conditions for his future. In a lengthy interview with the English media outlet The Telegraph, the former FC Porto and Chelsea coach first explained that he still has many years to offer to the football world: “It’s not like I’m 61 and I want to stop at 65. Not at all.
There is still a long career ahead.” Mourinho isn’t afraid of challenges, having managed top clubs like Porto, Chelsea, Inter Milan, Real Madrid, and Manchester United, often delivering trophies. The only exception was Tottenham, where he was sacked just before a final. He’s willing to consider less prestigious clubs if the presented project convinces him: “It’s not like I’m scared of jobs (at clubs) that are not ‘made to win.’ When some have reached a certain level, they may say, ‘I will only take jobs to win.’ It’s my job to try to transform clubs into ‘made to win’ clubs or to achieve certain goals.”
Mourinho also reassured regarding his persona. Known for being eccentric, charismatic, and explosive, the Portuguese coach acknowledged that he would fare better in a club with a clear hierarchy and a separation between the roles of the coach and the sporting director. “If people fear something, don’t be afraid. Give me a professional structure where I’m just the head coach because that’s what I’m good at. People say I’m good at communication. Very often, you say bad things. Especially when communicating three or four times a week. The structure of a club pushes me in the wrong direction,” he shared.
Keeping his future project with a club as open as possible, Mourinho primarily seeks good chemistry between himself and his future club, with everyone moving in the same direction and clear, realistic expectations. He clearly wants to be desired by the next team he joins: “What could really make the difference is how much the club wants me. How much the club needs a person and a coach of my profile. And how much sentiment, empathy, I could feel with the structure. The only thing I want is for the targets and objectives to be established by everyone fairly. I can’t go to a club where, due to my history, the goal is to win the title. No. The only thing I want is for it to be fair.”
Not necessarily desiring the pressure found in top clubs, Mourinho seems to seek a working environment where the context around him is healthy, and expectations are not unreasonable given his extraordinary CV. “Do you think if I were in a big Premier League club and we were sixth, seventh, eighth in the league, I would still have a job? What I’m saying is that people should look at me like they look at others. What is important to me is if the club has goals, and I can say I’m ready to fight for them. I don’t mean realistic goals, but semi-realistic ones. Because when I went to Rome, no one dreamed of a European final, and we did it. It’s not possible if I go to a club almost relegated and the goal is to win the Champions League. It’s good, but it’s not fair,” he confessed. Ready to embrace a new challenge for the upcoming season, Mourinho is prepared to step out of his comfort zone to find the perfect match.
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