World Cup qual. - Mourinho 'considered England''

Eurosport - Tue, 07 Oct 18:02:00 2008

Former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has admitted he considered being England coach and also turned down an approach from Portugal to succeed Luiz Felipe Scolari in the summer.

FOOTBALL 2008/09 Serie A Inter Mourinho - 0

The Internazionale boss was one of the bookmakers' favourites to take over after Steve McClaren was sacked following England's failure to qualify for Euro 2008.

He was out of work at the time having left Chelsea in September last year but decided he wanted to remain in club management.

"In a certain moment I considered being England national manager, first of all because I was in love with the football country and with England - I was also happy there - and secondly because if you have one country where the prestige of the national team manager is huge, it is England," he said.

"But at the same time my passion for the day-by-day work, my passion to train every day, my desire to play every week and if possible more than one game a week, this is my life. That's the life I want to have."

That is one of the reasons why he also turned down his native Portugal when they approached him about succeeding Chelsea-bound Scolari - a job which was later taken by former Manchester United assistant manager Carlos Queiroz.

"I always had in my career project the Portuguese national team job as one of the last moments of my career but they tried to press me to do it early," Mourinho told FeelFootball.

"Sometimes you have to jump out of this road you built - but they understand that I cannot do it now.

"But I want to have the experience of coaching my country one day. I would like to make my family very proud, and I'm sure one day they will be very proud when I become Portuguese national manager.

"I [prefer] club [over country] because at this moment I'm a club manager and it's the kind of job I enjoy.

"The national team job is not the kind of job that motivates me - it's a completely different profile."

Sporting Life / Eurosport

Comment 1 - 19 of 59

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  1. he is simply the best.As a chelsea fan i wish him well

    From sevil434, on Tue 7 Oct 3:39PM

  2. chelseafansue, r u fit?

    From lee, on Tue 7 Oct 3:38PM

  3. It's great news but why would any Chelsea fanwant Jose to become the manager they hate him for being a trator...

    From Alb123!, on Tue 7 Oct 3:33PM

  4. Mourinho for England!

    From plymouth till i die, on Tue 7 Oct 3:31PM

  5. The 'best in the business"? Are you mad? How does his record stack up against Ferguson's? I'll tell you. It doesn't.

    From Marcus, on Tue 7 Oct 3:31PM

  6. The Ego has landed

    From PinHead, on Tue 7 Oct 1:20PM

  7. HERE HERE!!!

    From Terence P, on Tue 7 Oct 12:36PM

  8. Jose Mourinho is the best in the business, that's why everyone wants to employ him. He'll succeed at Inter for sure, like he succeeded at Porto and Chelsea. Chelsea would be league champions now if he hadn't left and if he became manager of Scotland they'd probably win the world cup. Chelsea fans the world over wish you well Jose. We also believe in Phil Scolari to make us champions again this year.

    From Susan, on Tue 7 Oct 11:02AM

  9. johnsonabtan. Perhaps you should look at what he achieved with Porto without any spending money. Before you make any pointless comments. It would save you some time. Notice how Avram Grant lost with the exact same squad. Jose always won some form of silverware.
    He's 3rd in the Italian league just now. But how long will a skint club like Lazio last at the top?
    Only a idiot would bet against Inter.

    From Chris F, on Tue 7 Oct 10:30AM

  10. lucky escape for England

    From James, on Tue 7 Oct 10:10AM

  11. Luck escape for Mourinho!

    From Michael, on Tue 7 Oct 9:46AM

  12. He always wanted to manage Liverpool and before Benitez came he thought he would. He even had a LFC cover for his mobile phone.

    From Kim S, on Tue 7 Oct 9:31AM

  13. now he will lose his job at inter .he cant vin nothing

    From nezir, on Tue 7 Oct 9:29AM

  14. now he will lose his job at inter .he cant vin nothing

    From nezir, on Tue 7 Oct 9:28AM

  15. now he will lose his job at inter .he cant vin nothing

    From nezir, on Tue 7 Oct 9:27AM

  16. yea a huge hit with an English team filled with players from a certain Bridge...but really he would have helped English football and we all know how things hype up in Queensland! but he's said he's like to end his coaching career as national team boss...of Portugal that is, maybe the Three Lions will get into the equation b4 then.

    From Adeleke, on Tue 7 Oct 9:01AM

  17. How true and honest this bloke could be? We'd never know. He is nothing special, or so called the "special one". Reckon that CFC won the EPL with money. They played dirty, simple football. Look what's he's achieve at Inter so far? One defeat to local rivals AC Milan. Quodos to Carlo Ancelotti. We all knew that he would never keep his mouth shut. He'd better be called "Jose the Moanrinhno". True fist class WHINGER.

    From Johnson, on Tue 7 Oct 8:57AM

  18. Mourinho has a point in saying so... cause' he is good. but at the same time england shuld think about his relaibility. he has never stayed long anywhere.
    i think he can he really help england but it shuld be a shortterm contract with him.

    From mamraj, on Tue 7 Oct 8:54AM

  19. He Would have been a huge hit with english team

    From , on Tue 7 Oct 8:42AM
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