Jose Mourinho has reportedly been offered the Portuguese national team head coach job following the side’s quarter-final exit at the 2022 World Cup.
Portugal suffered a 1-0 defeat to Morocco to deny Fernando Santos the chance of adding another international trophy to his record after the triumph of Euro 2016.
The loss has prompted questions to emerge regarding the future of Santos’ time in charge and reports have suggested that Portugal are set to sack the 68-year-old who first took charge of the national side back in 2014.
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With news that Santos is set to lose his job, AS Roma manager Jose Mourinho has been heavily linked with the role despite the fact he is currently employed by the Serie A club.
Mourinho, 59, has never managed internationally but he has previously been touted for the Portugal job following Santos’ poor showing at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
However, he could finally be given the chance to take over the national side. Mourinho is currently the favourite to be appointed as Portugal’s newest head coach, with reports suggesting that he could stay on as Roma manager alongside the Portugal job.
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It remains to be seen whether Mourinho and Roma accept this proposal as former Manchester United manager Ralf Rangnick was supposed to take on a consultancy role at the club and become Austria’s head coach but left the Red Devils in order to focus on international management.
Jose Mourinho could become Portugal manager
Mourinho is perfect for Portugal
While Mourinho is a divisive figure, he remains a top coach despite plying his trade at Roma and failing at Tottenham Hotspur.
Furthermore, international management would suit him down to a tee. Mourinho typically thrives when forming his side with an ‘us against the world’ mentality, which is something ideally suited to tournament football.
In addition, the compactness of international football means it would be more difficult for Mourinho to fall out with squad members like what happened at Real Madrid, Manchester United and Tottenham.
In small bursts, Mourinho can motivate players and truly make them feel part of a team, and without the strain of a league season he could thrive.
In summary, Mourinho to Portugal seems like a logical next step in his illustrious career.