Tottenham Hotspur manager Jose Mourinho said he is not only missing football but missing how the world used to be before the coronavirus pandemic took over.
The former Chelsea and Manchester United coach has last stood on the sidelines of a football pitch to dish out instructions during a competitive match over 6 weeks ago due to the pandemic.
When the government in the United Kingdom halted every social activity including football, the coach decided to volunteer to harvest vegetables which are being distributed to the most vulnerable around London.
Mourinho who started the job after observing a compulsory two-weeks self-isolation is obviously not enjoying such activity compare to being in a stadium while Tottenham squad slug it out with an opposing team on the field of play.
“I miss football”, he told Sky Sports. “But I prefer to say I miss our world like I think we all do. Football is just part of my world. But we have to be patient, this is a fight that we all have to fight.”
Jose Mourinho Does Not Have a Problem with playing behind closed doors
The coronavirus pandemic has become so serious that most medical facilities in London are overwhelmed by the number of people who have contracted the virus.
In Greater London alone, there are over 18,000 confirmed cases while in the whole of the United Kingdom, there are over 165 thousand confirmed cases and over 26,097 COVID-19 related deaths.
Since government facilities are obviously overwhelmed, some facilities at Tottenham Hotspur stadium were released for NHS to use during the crisis.
“You try to visualise what the normal day is here, the pre-match, the match, after the match, then you come here and just see an incredible hospital facility,” Mourinho said. “I think it’s just fantastic.”
On whether the Premier League should be completed or not, Jose Mourinho stressed that it would be necessary for the season to be completed when it is right to do so.
The coach also stressed that playing behind closed doors does not mean that people are not watching since there are cameras that would televise the matches to millions of people in their homes.
“If we play the remaining nine matches this season it will be good for every one of us,” Mourinho said.
“If we play football behind closed doors I’d like to think that football is never behind closed doors. With cameras, it means that millions and millions are watching. So if one day we walk into this empty stadium, it will not be empty, not at all.”
