Jose Mourinho has revealed he rejected the vacant Portugal Job despite a push from Cristiano Ronaldo.
After a good group stage display and a round 16 masterclass against Switzerland, Portugal hit the death knell in their Word Cup hopes, after a shock quarterfinal loss against Morocco.
After the World Cup exit, former manager Fernando Santos, who was in charge of the team in the World Cup, was sacked, leaving the role vacant.
Former Manchester United, Chelsea, Inter Milan, and now Roma manager, Jose Mourinho and former Premier League and Belgium manager Roberto Martinez were frontrunners to succeed Fernandez Santos.
Roberto Martinez was subsequently appointed manager of the Euros 2016 champions, with Jose Mourinho continuing in his role as Roma manager.
Contrary to reports from the Portuguese press which said Jose Mourinho was primed for the job and could work in a dual capacity as a club and national team coach, the Portugal FA maintained they only approached Roberto Martinez for the Portugal job, not Mourinho.
Now, Jose Mourinho has revealed that he was the first-choice manager primed to replace Fernando Santos, but had choose to turn down the offer.
Meanwhile, while speculation mounted over Santos’s potential replacement, some pundits believe Mourinho could be the manager to get the best out of the beleaguered and out-of-favor former Man United legend Cristiano Ronaldo.
As revealed by Daily Mail, Jose Mourinho debunked Portugal’s football governing body report that he was not the first-choice.
The former Chelsea manager said; “The fact that the president of the FPF said that I was not his first choice, but his only choice makes me proud.
“But I decided not to go. I’m here and that’s what matters.”
Also, Cristiano Ronaldo was reportedly canvassing for Mourinho to become the next Portugal manager. Ronaldo played under Jose Mourinho at Real Madrid and was an integral part of the LaLiga-dominating Real Madrid side during Jose Mourinho’s stint with the club.
Jose Mourinho is one of the most decorated football managers in Europe and has managed elite clubs in Europe.
He has managed and won trophies with Manchester United, Real Madrid, Chelsea, Inter Milan, and now Roma. Mourinho had hinted at taking his football managerial career to the doors of national teams. He is currently linked to the Brazil job.
Meanwhile, the Portuguese, popularly known as “the special one” still has 18 months remaining on his current Roma contract.
He won the Europa Conference League with the Italian outfit last year and is currently hunting for a Champions League spot in Serie A this season.
