Former Manchester United and Fenerbahce coach Jose Mourinho has expressed openness to managing a bottom-table English club for two years.
Speaking to Sky Sports after his team’s Europa League draw against Manchester United on Thursday night, the Portuguese manager remarked, “The best thing I can do when I leave Fenerbahce is to join a club not competing in UEFA tournaments. So, if any bottom-table English club needs a coach in two years, I’m ready.”
Mourinho, who was shown a red card during the match, expressed frustration over the referee’s decision after a heated exchange. He commented on the referee’s explanation, saying, “He told me that he could see both the action in the box and my behavior on the touchline simultaneously. His peripheral vision is incredible, watching the penalty situation and my actions on the bench. That’s why he’s one of the best referees in the world.”
Previously, Mourinho was handed a four-game European ban after his Roma team’s Europa League final loss to Sevilla in May 2023, a point he cited in saying he wouldn’t appeal Thursday’s red card: “If I appeal, I’ll get six months. Since the Sevilla-Roma final, there’s no point.”
In Thursday’s game, Manchester United took an early lead with a 15th-minute goal by Christian Eriksen, only for Youssef En-Nesyri to equalize in the 49th minute with a close-range header assisted by Allan Saint-Maximin.
The result keeps Fenerbahce unbeaten with five points from three games, though Mourinho felt his team deserved more: “We played an extraordinary match and were better than them. My players were fantastic, facing a superior team. With makeshift positions due to injuries, they gave an extraordinary performance, and I couldn’t ask for more.”
Mourinho, who led United to the Europa League title in 2017, joined Fenerbahce this past offseason.
