Sport
Jose Mourinho should take the Portugal job – he would be perfect for international football
Jose Mourinho has a decision to make, at least according to the reports that have strongly linked him with the vacant Portugal job. Fernando Santos’ decision to depart as manager of the Selecao following the 2022 World Cup has opened up a position that has been filled for the last eight years and Mourinho is believed to be Portugal’s first-choice to take over.
The only problem is Mourinho already has a job as Roma manager. He has been in place at the Stadio Olimpico since the summer of 2021 and has the Serie A club heading in the right direction under his stewardship – the Giallorossi won the inaugural Europa Conference League last season and are in contention for a top four finish this term.
And yet there’s a sense the Portugal job might be a better fit for Mourinho at this stage of his career. There is a ceiling to what he can achieve at Roma. Their budget is far from being the biggest in Serie A at this moment in time and so Champions League qualification might be all that Mourinho can deliver.
Portugal, however, have the talent to win major tournaments and with Euro 2024 just 18 months away there is an opportunity for Mourinho to lead one of the favourites. This could be the chance the 59-year-old needs to salvage his reputation at the elite level of management. The time is right for him to move into international football.
There is good reason to believe international management will suit Mourinho. While his conservative style of play has grown outdated in the club game, it is still very much useful in international football – look at how successful Didier Deschamps has been as France manager over the years despite criticism of his tactics.
In tournament football, knowing how not to lose can be more valuable than knowing how to win and that could play perfectly into Mourinho’s hands. For all that the 59-year-old has struggled to achieve much in league football in recent seasons, he remains skilled at guiding teams through cup competitions.
With 37-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo no longer a force at the top of international football, Portugal must build a new team. This is where Mourinho would have the freedom to construct something in his own image with a group of players capable of winning the most prestigious of honours. Portugal only offered a glimpse of their ability at the 2022 World Cup. There is much more to come from this group of players.
Santos was the ideal Portugal manager for a time when they didn’t have all that much talent. They won Euro 2016 by defending first and foremost and hitting out on the counter attack when they had the opportunity. Over time, though, Santos’ methods become ill-fitting for a team with so much natural attacking threat.
Mourinho isn’t exactly known for his attacking football either, but the former Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur boss tends to rely on the brilliance of his forwards to create and score. That wouldn’t be a bad thing for Portugal who have the likes of Bruno Fernandes, Joao Felix, Rafael Leao and others to make the difference.
What’s more, Mourinho wouldn’t have the transfer market to aggravate him as an international manager as it does in the club game. The 59-year-old knows how to create a siege mentality and establish a connection with his players within the dressing room. These are yet more things that lend itself to international management. Mourinho could be exactly what Portugal need and Portugal could be exactly what Mourinho needs.
