Jose Mourinho's time at elite European clubs seems to be increasingly passing by and no matter how you look at it, there's arguably no better time than now for the Portuguese boss to take up a national team job, KickOff's Lukhanyo Mtuta writes.
Mourinho was sacked by AS Roma last month after two and a half years in charge. The decision came as somewhat of a surprise to many as he had built a cultish following in Rome, although results had started to wane in the months leading up to his dismissal. Although no longer viewed in the same light as juggernauts such as Pep Guardiola, Jurgen Klopp, and even Carlo Ancelotti at the moment, the 61-year-old still commands huge respect, with the Giallorossi recording an average attendance of more than 60 000 this season, third only to Inter Milan and AC Milan, who ironically share the same stadium. Perhaps more importantly, he guided the side to the 2021/22 UEFA Europa Conference League title, Roma's first-ever European trophy and their first silverware since 2008.
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Admittedly, the manner in which he left the Italian club has measurably tainted his legacy as it marked the fifth time he was given his marching orders, having previously been sacked by Chelsea (twice), Manchester United, and Tottenham Hotspur. A growing concern now is the perceived reluctance of top clubs to hire him, with only Saudi Arabian teams having made a genuine play to sign him up. Liverpool and FC Barcelona need new coaches at the end of the season, but Mourinho is not even remotely linked with those position, which is perhaps an indictment of his declining reputation as an elite club manager.
Whether there's any validity to such claim, the reality is that Mourinho's stock has never been lower. The 2026 FIFA World Cup is just over two years away, and with 48 nations set to take part, it would not be outlandish for the "Special One" to be in the dugout of one of the competing countries. Former Real Madrid boss Vicente del Bosque took the Spain national team job right before the 2008 UEFA European Championship and won the trophy, before going on to win the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa too. Roberto Mancini followed a similar path in 2018, and later won the 2020 Euros with Italy.
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Ultimately, it almost feels natural that Mourinho could be headed in the same direction, although he has previously admitted to rejecting the Portugal job before Roberto Martinez's appointment after the 2022 World Cup. In recent weeks, the two-time UEFA Champions League-winning coach has been quite vocal with his opinions on international football matters, which could be a tell-tale sign about the next phase of his managerial career. Having served several bans for his touchline antics in recent seasons, it seems the demands of club football are also becoming harder to control for the manager, so perhaps there is no better time than now for him to take the plunge into the international game.
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