Sport
Where Will Jose Mourinho Go Next?
Manchester United have appointed Ole Gunnar Solskjær as their new manager. Meanwhile his predecessor, Jose Mourinho, has been suspiciously quiet about where his own future might lie. Having been quoted this week as saying that he hopes to be back in employment by June, we take a look at five possible destinations for the Portuguese.
Inter Milan
Widely regarded as the most likely destination for Mourinho is a return to the club where he won a famous treble in 2010, landing the Serie A title, Coppa Italia and Champions League in the same season.
Six days later he was announced as Real Madrid manager, who paid a world record compensation package for his services. Given that he left on such a high note, it is understandable that Inter might want him back but would their current manager, Luciano Spalletti, have something to say about it?
Everton
Marco Silva is currently at the helm, yet all is not well at Goodison Park. The fans have been openly critical about the football that the Toffees have played on their slide to 11th, a poor return for the money invested into last summer.
Given the calibre of clubs that Mourinho has managed in the past, Everton might seem a step down. However, on some levels it makes a lot of sense.
Firstly, Everton’s billionaire owner, Farhad Moshiri, is desperate to bring sustained success to the club and is willing to spend big bucks to achieve it. This would perfectly suit Mourinho whose managerial style revolves around spending large quantities of cash to make an immediate impact.
Additionally, the Liverpool factor has to be considered. During Mourinho’s initial spell at Chelsea, his running battle with the then Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez became the most fearsome rivalry in the league. He then managed Liverpool’s hated rivals Manchester United.
Would the opportunity to troll Liverpool for a third time prove too much to resist?
PSG
When PSG were taken over by a Qatari consortium in 2011, their primary aim was to win the Champions League. Eight years, four managers and hundreds of millions of pounds later they are yet to reach the semi-final stage. With that in mind, who better then to appoint than a double Champions League winning manager?
He’d love their transfer budget and with Ligue Un effectively guaranteed every season, would avoid much of the domestic pressure that has undermined him in previous roles. One fly in the ointment though could be PSG’s continued links to Paul Pogba…
Lyon
Speculation has been rife in recent days that Mourinho is being lined up to take over as Lyon manager, after he was spotted in the crowd during their home tie with Montpellier. Mourinho was subsequently quoted as saying that he could see himself managing in Ligue Un.
Lyon’s current manager, Bruno Genesio, is out of contract at the end of the season and bizarrely seemed to welcome the idea, saying; “Everywhere he’s been he’s won a trophy. He won Champions Leagues. Obviously he’s a great coach so, if he succeeds me, it would be an honour.”
Mourinho would revel in upsetting the apple cart by challenging the PSG monopoly, though he would presumably be working with his smallest budget since he managed Porto.
Chelsea
It couldn’t happen again, could it? Comfortably the least likely option on this list, Mourinho has infamously managed, and been sacked by, Chelsea twice before. His most recent termination came in the aftermath of an ugly row with former Chelsea doctor Eva Carneiro.
Mourinho’s relationship with the club further soured when he took the reigns at Manchester United, with Chelsea supporters taunting Mourinho in every clash between the clubs since.
However, the stark fact is that Mourinho remains Chelsea’s most successful manager of all time. Across two spells, he won the Premier League and League Cup three times apiece in addition to an FA Cup.
Additionally, after a fantastic start, Maurizio Sarri’s appointment has slowly unravelled, leading to speculation that he may soon face the sack. It seems unlikely but stranger things have happened at Chelsea, so don’t completely write it off.
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