Mourinho makes it a point to A dig by Manchester United that sheds light on his job: “I wasn’t the coach”
Jose Mourinho has hinted at problems behind the scenes during his time as Manchester United manager, claiming the club saddled him with too many obligations.
Mourinho led United from May 2016 until December 2018, winning the Carabao Cup and the Europa League in his debut season. He won 84 of his 144 matches as manager, leading them to sixth and second place in the Premier League throughout his two full seasons.
The Portuguese manager was a loud critic of United’s failure to sign the players he wanted in the summer transfer window before to the start of the 2018-19 season. He was fired following a 3-1 loss to Liverpool, which put his team 19 points behind the Premier League leaders and 11 points behind the top four.
Many bridges had been burned by that stage, with players disillusioned by his harsh style, and Mourinho has now stated that he was never satisfied with the setup at United. Speaking with Fabrizio Romano in an interview to express his wish to return to management after being fired by Roma in January, he described his ideal scenario at a potential new club.
“I am always loyal to my club. It makes no difference who your fans are. Country does not matter; neither does the club. So I believe they have a sense that I will give everything. And because of my personality, I’ll always be more than just a coach,” he explained.
“In some club organisations, you must be the coach, technical director, communication director, and the image that defends the club and the players – and this is something that people understand. However, this is something that the coach dislikes.
“Because, as a coach, I want to be a coach. I believe the ideal scenario is for the club to have a framework that allows the coach to be the coach on the pitch, on the training ground, in the locker room, and on the touchline. But be the coach.
“I was the coach at Inter.” I was the coach for Real Madrid. I was the coach during my first stint at Chelsea. I was the coach in Porto. In several other clubs, I wasn’t the coach, which is quite difficult for a coach. But, I believe, my relationship with every football club where I’ve worked, as well as the fanbase, is built on the fact that they see me arrive, don the shirt, and fight for them.
The 61-year-old was fired by Roma in January and is still without a club, after being promised a move to Saudi Arabia. He claimed he would never rule out working for a Saudi Pro League club, but he is content to wait for the appropriate opportunity.
