Chelsea legend predicts Jose Mourinho’s next move amid claims he ‘wants return’ to Stamford Bridge
Chelsea legend Frank Leboeuf has predicted who Newcastle United-linked Jose Mourinho will manage next following his exit from Serie A giants AS Roma.
The Serie A outfit decided to sack Mourinho earlier this week after they slumped to ninth in the table.
When announcing the experienced manager’s departure, owners Dan and Ryan Friedkin said in a statement: “We would like to thank Jose on behalf of all of us at AS Roma for his passion and efforts since his arrival at the club.
“We will always have great memories of his tenure at Roma, but we believe that an immediate change is in the best interests of the club.
“We wish Jose and his assistants all the best in their future endeavours.”
Following the sacking of Mourinho, talk has quickly diverted to a potential return to the Premier League amid reported interest from Newcastle United.
Eddie Howe is among the favourites to be the next Premier League sacked but reports linking Newcastle with Mourinho have been rubbished by The Northern Echo.
They stated: ‘Newcastle have no interest in lining up Jose Mourinho for a managerial position at St James’ Park despite speculation linking the former Chelsea and Manchester United boss with the Magpies.
‘There is no intention to remove Howe from his current position as Newcastle head coach, and even if there was, it is extremely unlikely that Mourinho would be considered a viable alternative.’.
Instead, a move back to Porto is said to be a ‘major possibility’, but Leboeuf thinks Mourinho will have an eye on the Portugal manager’s job.
“I remember interviewing Mr Mourinho when he was at Madrid or Chelsea when he came over to Los Angeles,” Leboeuf told ESPN FC.
“He admitted that the last thing he would love to do in his coaching career would be to get the Portuguese national team job. I think that’s going to be his goal.
“It’s tricky right now with Roberto but I really think he can be patient and see how it goes during the Euros and then maybe jump into the seat if he has the chance to.”
At the start of 2023, a report from The Daily Mail claimed Mourinho ‘wants to return to the Premier League’ and a ‘third spell with Chelsea is his ideal scenario’. The report added.
‘An extraordinary third spell at Chelsea would be his ideal scenario and his representatives have let it be known that he would be interested in any vacancy at Stamford Bridge.
‘Mourinho’s wife and children still live in London and he has always preferred working in the Premier League to elsewhere.’
