Jose Mourinho has return in mind and teases Cristiano Ronaldo reunion after bust-up
Jose Mourinho has said that he is ready to return to management in his native Portugal. The ex- Manchester United boss even hinted that he was eyeing a role with the national team once again, with a potentially awkward reunion with Cristiano Ronaldo on the cards should he make the jump to international coaching.
Mourinho, 62, is currently at the helm of Turkish giants Fenerbahce after taking over in June 2024. However, after leading his side to a 2-1 victory over Portuguese second division side Portimonense in a pre-season friendly last week, Mourinho dropped the bombshell that he is ready to make a return to the country where it all began for him.
Mourinho has not coached in Portugal since 2004, where he had spells with with Benfica and Porto. "I will come back to Portugal for sure. It hasn't happened yet, but it will happen," Mourinho told Sport TV last week.
"Not because I feel close to the end, I feel far from that. I don't want to come to Portugal for a golden retirement or for my final years in my career."
He continued: "I want to come to Portugal at the peak of my career, in good health and in top physical and mental shape. I will definitely return. Club or national team? Either, but not Portimonense, because they already have a good manager (laughs)."
Rumours of discord between Mourinho, who was sacked by United in 2018, and Ronaldo were rife when the legendary coach managed the five-time Ballon d'Or winner at Real Madrid for three seasons. If Mourinho decides to take over the reins of his country it could have wider implications with Ronaldo still very much a focal point for the team, currently managed by Roberto Martinez.
Mourinho and Ronaldo's relationship was fraught in the Spanish capital, with the Portuguese tactician often slamming his star player for what he perceived was a lack of tactical discipline. According to Guillem Balague's book, Cristiano Ronaldo: The Biography, Mourinho once engaged Ronaldo in a huge row after the forward took a throw-in too quickly.
"After everything I've done for you, this is how you treat me? How dare you say that to me", Mourinho reportedly bellowed at Ronaldo. "I was saying it for the team because the team needed you to track back."
Tensions worsened as Mourinho supposedly added: "Just so you know, many think like me here, but don't dare say it, they don't have the balls to tell you." It is then believed the pair had to be separated.
Despite their difficulties, time heals all wounds and it seems that applies to the iconic compatriots. Speaking later on, and perhaps offering an insight into how he would coach a 40-year-old Ronaldo for the national team, Mourinho said: "I think you don't coach [him].
"Motivation, you don't need to give him. Ambition, you don't need to give him. Technique, you don't need to give him. You give some tactical adjustments and let the guy be happy."
The two-time Champions League-winning boss was also happy to brand Ronaldo as one of "the best players of all time" and insisted that coaching him was "the highlight" of his career. He also moved to distinguish any bad blood too, saying: "A coach and a player may have their differences at a given time, but it ends there."
Since leaving Porto in 2004, Mourinho has managed Chelsea, Inter Milan, Real Madrid, Manchester United, Tottenham and Roma. Ronaldo, clearly impressed by his old bosses' CV, has claimed that he would be open to working with Mourinho again.
Sensationally, Al-Nassr star Ronaldo even lauded Mourinho as the best coach he has ever worked with – even above Sir Alex Ferguson. "I would put him at the top, I always say that," Ronaldo said.
A dream reunification in the offing or just two of the game's biggest egos on a collision course once again? Only time will tell as all eyes will firmly be on Mourinho's next move.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
11 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
Marcus Rashford to Barcelona is most intriguing move all summer – leaving Manchester goldfish bowl could save his career
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) ONLY one Englishman has played competitive football for Barcelona in the last 100 years. When Gary Lineker arrived at the Nou Camp in 1986, he had just won the World Cup Golden Boot and was about to finish runner-up in the Ballon d'Or. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 10 Marcus Rashford's move to Barcelona is the most intriguing in recent memory Credit: Getty 10 Rashford will be only the second Englishman to play for Barcelona in over 100 years, following Gary Lineker Credit: Getty 10 Rashford has a chance to reignite his career at the spiritual home of the beautiful game Credit: Getty He would go on to score a hat-trick in El Clasico, lift a European trophy and win the Copa del Rey. Barcelona don't tend to sign English players. And they don't tend to sign chumps. So the fact that Marcus Rashford is about to become only the second Englishman in the modern era to play at the spiritual home of the beautiful game is perhaps the most intriguing move of the summer. Rashford, the member of Manchester United's unwanted 'bomb squad'. READ MORE SPORT STORIES FEARS FOR GAZZA Paul Gascoigne rushed to intensive care after being found collapsed at home Rashford, whose form has fallen off a cliff. Rashford, whose once-saintly reputation has fallen from the clouds. During the pandemic, Rashford earned an MBE for his campaigning work against child poverty and hunger. Back then, he was lauded as the unofficial Leader of the Opposition. Yet this January, Ruben Amorim claimed Rashford's attitude was so poor that he would rather select his 63-year-old goalkeeping coach Jorge Vital as a United sub. CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS And now here is Rashford joining the champions of Spain, signing for the club where Johan Cruyff and Pep Guardiola elevated football into an art form. Earlier in the summer, Rashford had been openly touting himself for a move to Barca. Marcus Rashford says he wants to play with Lamine Yamal at Barcelona in transfer plea He was talking up the prospect of playing alongside Lamine Yamal, the most thrilling teenage footballer in the world. And it all sounded like wishful thinking, like some weird shisha-pipe dream. So news that Barca had struck a season-long loan deal with United was an extraordinary reminder that there used to be a very decent player in Rashford. After Amorim's damning public comments, Rashford sealed a loan move to Aston Villa, where he performed pretty well, playing in a Champions League quarter-final against Paris Saint-Germain - assisting the goal which won Villa the second leg but still left them a goal shy of winning the tie. There was enough in that Villa loan spell to prompt Thomas Tuchel to select Rashford in his first England team in March and to persuade Barca that Rashford is worth a punt, on loan with an option to buy next summer. There is a feeling that Rashford could benefit from being out of the Manchester goldfish bowl, yet playing for Barca brings extreme demands. Before Jude Bellingham's first Clasico appearance for Real Madrid in 2023, Lineker told me: 'We think Premier League footballers operate under a lot of pressure, and they do, but it's nothing compared to playing for Barcelona and Real Madrid. 'When I was at Barcelona, it was a middle-class crowd - most working-class people couldn't afford to go. 'The Socios, who owned shares in the club, formed a lot of the crowd and for them it was like going to the opera or ballet - they sat back and expected to be entertained. 'In a bog-standard Spanish league game it could be very quiet and if you started badly, after 15 minutes they could get on your back and start whistling at you. While things have changed a little, it's still largely true.' 10 So Rashford hasn't taken an easy option here. He has also taken a 15 per cent cut on his £320,000 weekly United wage. This is a man still determined to prove himself at the very top. Joining Barcelona, even on loan, is a significant step up from United - who will play no European football this coming season. A link-up with Yamal will be interesting, off the field as well as on it - especially given that the boy wonder has only just turned 18 but has already developed a penchant for partying with Only Fans models and dwarves. Rashford's infamous sicknote after a booze bender in Belfast - which seriously dented his relationship with Amorim's predecessor Erik ten Hag - took place 18 months ago now. And he is widely said to have knuckled down while at Villa. But will Rashford start regularly for Barca, with Yamal, Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha and Ferran Torres already vying for places in Hansi Flick's front three? Rashford is most effective cutting inside from the left flank, which is where former Leeds man Raphinha has been operating with great success. 10 Teaming up with Lamine Yamal is an exciting opportunity for Rashford Credit: Getty Still, this is a remarkable opportunity for Rashford to revive his career with LaLiga's champions - and he may even get to grace the revamped Nou Camp, should it actually re-open at some point this season. And on October 26, he has the chance to play in the greatest club fixture on Earth, against Real in the Bernabeu in the first Clasico of the season - a match which may also feature his England team-mates Bellingham and Trent Alexander-Arnold. Just two years ago, Rashford was one of United's few reliable players and a regular England starter. At the age of 27, his peak may still be to come. There would be no greater place to realise his full potential than at Barcelona. But, as the only Englishman to have played for Barca in the last century has warned, there are few tougher places to win over your audience. WALES FAILS THERE were no Welshmen in the British and Irish Lions' matchday squad for Saturday's victory over Australia in Brisbane. There were no Welshmen teeing off among a 156-strong field at the Open Championship at Portrush. There were no Welshmen playing regularly for the top six clubs in last season's Premier League table. And as for the Welsh women, they were sent home from the Euros with nul points, having shipped 13 goals in three games. Whatever happened to a once-great sporting nation? 10 What has happened to the once-great sporting nation that is Wales Credit: Shutterstock Editorial BRIT OF A DOWNER FROM a British perspective, it would have been lovely to have seen Rory McIlroy claim the Claret Jug in his native Northern Ireland at the weekend. And for Daniel Dubois to have become the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world. Yet sometimes you simply have to marvel at those sportsmen who come remarkably close to achieving perfection in their field. Scottie Scheffler and Oleksandr Usyk are two of those rare beasts. And given that the bear-like Scheffler weighs in at just above the 14st 4lb cruiserweight limit, perhaps he's the man to give Usyk a decent fight? 10 Scottie Scheffler could be the man to take on Usyk Credit: AFP 10 Daniel Dubois lost his big fight against Oleksandr Usyk on a frustrating weekend for British sports fans Credit: EPA BIG SAM'S BIG MURAL A TEN-FOOT-HIGH mural of Sam Allardyce has appeared on a wall in the big man's hometown of Dudley. Allardyce is depicted eating orange chips - a spicy, battered black country delicacy. But given Big Sam's claim to fame as the shortest-lived manager of England, shouldn't he have been immortalised in paint while drinking a pint of wine instead? 10 Sam Allardyce has been immortalised in a bizarre mural in Dudley, with the ex-England boss eating local delicacy 'orange chips' Credit: PA WHAT A MAVERICK DURING Open week, I often like to amuse myself by finding the weirdest American names in the field. Among the previous winners of my imaginary comedy-name claret jug have been Fred Funk, Fuzzy Zoeller, Curtis Strange, Duffy Waldorf and Bo Van Pelt. This year it wasn't even close, thanks to Maverick McNealy. Discover your own American golfer name by simply adding your favourite Top Gun character to the name of a salad or a genre of popular music.
Daily Mirror
11 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Rio Ferdinand and Michael Carrick reactions to Sir Alex Ferguson's brutal response speak volumes
Rio Ferdinand was busy chatting with his former Manchester United team-mate Michael Carrick on his podcast when Sir Alex Ferguson walked into the room to interrupt Sir Alex Ferguson still commands the respect of his former Manchester United players – even when he is interrupting. Ferguson left United in 2013 after 26 years at the helm of the club and his influence on the club is still huge. The 83-year-old coached hundreds of players during his time in charge at Old Trafford and to many his work was life-changing. Many of his former players are now trying to make their way as managers – and one of them was on Rio Ferdinand's podcast recently. Michael Carrick joined his former United team-mate on Rio Ferdinand Presents for a detailed chat about their era at the club, the current crop and Carrick's own insights as a coach. Carrick spoke about Kobbie Mainoo, Scott McTominay and Bruno Fernandes, the genius of Paul Scholes and much more, before Ferguson derailed their chat. Recording in an empty restaurant, Ferguson gate-crashed the recording and was not happy to see the cameras and microphones. Walking into the shot, Ferguson said abruptly: 'What's this? I'm not doing this podcast!' Ferdinand responded: 'Alright boss? No, no, no. We're going to talk after. You go and get a coffee, boss.' Carrick added: 'No, we're just finishing now.' Ferguson replied: 'Oh, you're just finishing?' Carrick: 'Yeah, don't worry, this is not for you.' Ferdinand: 'We're going to get a bit of food with you after. You've not dressed for the camera, boss, have you? You've not dressed up for the cameras.' Carrick: 'Have a quick coffee, boss, and we'll be with you in a sec. Did you think this was for you?' Ferguson: 'I'll go sit over here. I just want to listen to the nonsense that you talk!' After taking a seat just behind Ferdinand off-camera, Ferguson still managed to interrupt. Five minutes later, his phone rang very loudly, interrupting their conversation. But Ferdinand was clear: 'It's fine, it's the gaffer, we've just got to get on with it!' That deference that Ferdinand and Carrick show Ferguson should come as no surprise, given the respect they have for their former manager. Ferguson won 38 trophies during his tenure at United, from 1986 to 2013, including 13 Premier League titles, five FA Cups, four League Cups and two Champions League titles. He led his players with an authoritarian style, which some responded well to, and his workaholic nature inspired many. 'He was an animal. When you look back at his age, how long he'd been at the club - his appetite for the game, his appetite for rebuilding a team, it was crazy,' Ferdinand once reflected. 'Even in the last year of his time at Man United, he's coming in earlier than everyone else. Nine times out of 10, you walk out to the car and he's still there.' Join our new MAN UTD WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Manchester United content from Mirror Football. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
The Sun
11 minutes ago
- The Sun
Marcus Rashford to Barcelona is most intriguing move all summer – leaving Manchester goldfish bowl could save his career
ONLY one Englishman has played competitive football for Barcelona in the last 100 years. When Gary Lineker arrived at the Nou Camp in 1986, he had just won the World Cup Golden Boot and was about to finish runner-up in the Ballon d'Or. 9 9 9 He would go on to score a hat-trick in El Clasico, lift a European trophy and win the Copa del Rey. Barcelona don't tend to sign English players. And they don't tend to sign chumps. So the fact that Marcus Rashford is about to become only the second Englishman in the modern era to play at the spiritual home of the beautiful game is perhaps the most intriguing move of the summer. Rashford, the member of Manchester United's unwanted 'bomb squad'. Rashford, whose form has fallen off a cliff. Rashford, whose once-saintly reputation has fallen from the clouds. During the pandemic, Rashford earned an MBE for his campaigning work against child poverty and hunger. Back then, he was lauded as the unofficial Leader of the Opposition. Yet this January, Ruben Amorim claimed Rashford's attitude was so poor that he would rather select his 63-year-old goalkeeping coach Jorge Vital as a United sub. And now here is Rashford joining the champions of Spain, signing for the club where Johan Cruyff and Pep Guardiola elevated football into an art form. Earlier in the summer, Rashford had been openly touting himself for a move to Barca. He was talking up the prospect of playing alongside Lamine Yamal, the most thrilling teenage footballer in the world. And it all sounded like wishful thinking, like some weird shisha-pipe dream. So news that Barca had struck a season-long loan deal with United was an extraordinary reminder that there used to be a very decent player in Rashford. After Amorim's damning public comments, Rashford sealed a loan move to Aston Villa, where he performed pretty well, playing in a Champions League quarter-final against Paris Saint-Germain - assisting the goal which won Villa the second leg but still left them a goal shy of winning the tie. There was enough in that Villa loan spell to prompt Thomas Tuchel to select Rashford in his first England team in March and to persuade Barca that Rashford is worth a punt, on loan with an option to buy next summer. There is a feeling that Rashford could benefit from being out of the Manchester goldfish bowl, yet playing for Barca brings extreme demands. Before Jude Bellingham's first Clasico appearance for Real Madrid in 2023, Lineker told me: 'We think Premier League footballers operate under a lot of pressure, and they do, but it's nothing compared to playing for Barcelona and Real Madrid. 'When I was at Barcelona, it was a middle-class crowd - most working-class people couldn't afford to go. 'The Socios, who owned shares in the club, formed a lot of the crowd and for them it was like going to the opera or ballet - they sat back and expected to be entertained. 'In a bog-standard Spanish league game it could be very quiet and if you started badly, after 15 minutes they could get on your back and start whistling at you. While things have changed a little, it's still largely true.' So Rashford hasn't taken an easy option here. He has also taken a 15 per cent cut on his £320,000 weekly United wage. This is a man still determined to prove himself at the very top. Joining Barcelona, even on loan, is a significant step up from United - who will play no European football this coming season. A link-up with Yamal will be interesting, off the field as well as on it - especially given that the boy wonder has only just turned 18 but has already developed a penchant for partying with Only Fans models and dwarves. Rashford's infamous sicknote after a booze bender in Belfast - which seriously dented his relationship with Amorim's predecessor Erik ten Hag - took place 18 months ago now. And he is widely said to have knuckled down while at Villa. But will Rashford start regularly for Barca, with Yamal, Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha and Ferran Torres already vying for places in Hansi Flick's front three? Rashford is most effective cutting inside from the left flank, which is where former Leeds man Raphinha has been operating with great success. 9 Still, this is a remarkable opportunity for Rashford to revive his career with LaLiga's champions - and he may even get to grace the revamped Nou Camp, should it actually re-open at some point this season. And on October 26, he has the chance to play in the greatest club fixture on Earth, against Real in the Bernabeu in the first Clasico of the season - a match which may also feature his England team-mates Bellingham and Trent Alexander-Arnold. Just two years ago, Rashford was one of United's few reliable players and a regular England starter. At the age of 27, his peak may still be to come. There would be no greater place to realise his full potential than at Barcelona. But, as the only Englishman to have played for Barca in the last century has warned, there are few tougher places to win over your audience. WALES FAILS THERE were no Welshmen in the British and Irish Lions' matchday squad for Saturday's victory over Australia in Brisbane. There were no Welshmen teeing off among a 156-strong field at the Open Championship at Portrush. There were no Welshmen playing regularly for the top six clubs in last season's Premier League table. And as for the Welsh women, they were sent home from the Euros with nul points, having shipped 13 goals in three games. Whatever happened to a once-great sporting nation? 9 BRIT OF A DOWNER FROM a British perspective, it would have been lovely to have seen Rory McIlroy claim the Claret Jug in his native Northern Ireland at the weekend. And for Daniel Dubois to have become the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world. Yet sometimes you simply have to marvel at those sportsmen who come remarkably close to achieving perfection in their field. Scottie Scheffler and Oleksandr Usyk are two of those rare beasts. And given that the bear-like Scheffler weighs in at just above the 14st 4lb cruiserweight limit, perhaps he's the man to give Usyk a decent fight? 9 9 BIG SAM'S BIG MURAL A TEN-FOOT-HIGH mural of Sam Allardyce has appeared on a wall in the big man's hometown of Dudley. Allardyce is depicted eating orange chips - a spicy, battered black country delicacy. But given Big Sam's claim to fame as the shortest-lived manager of England, shouldn't he have been immortalised in paint while drinking a pint of wine instead? 9 WHAT A MAVERICK DURING Open week, I often like to amuse myself by finding the weirdest American names in the field. Among the previous winners of my imaginary comedy-name claret jug have been Fred Funk, Fuzzy Zoeller, Curtis Strange, Duffy Waldorf and Bo Van Pelt. This year it wasn't even close, thanks to Maverick McNealy. Discover your own American golfer name by simply adding your favourite Top Gun character to the name of a salad or a genre of popular music. 9
