Portugal FA arrange ‘meeting’ with Jose Mourinho as Roma panic over their manager’s future

Jason Soutar
Jose Mourinho sat on the bench before a game

Jose Mourinho is reportedly planning to meet with the president of the Portuguese Football Federation to discuss the Portugal managerial role.

Mourinho is currently in charge of Italian club AS Roma after leaving Tottenham in 2021.

Last season, his first year at the club, he led the Giallorossi to success in the inaugural Europa Conference League.

However, the former Chelsea and Manchester United manager is being linked with the Portugal job.

Euro 2016-winning boss Fernando Santos was relieved of his duties following the nation’s surprise quarter-final exit to Morocco at this winter’s World Cup.

There have been some suggestions that the Portuguese FF would be willing to employ Mourinho while he co-manages Roma.

Mourinho is reportedly interested but is unwilling to leave the Serie A giants, so the opportunity to manage both simultaneously could be appealing.

According to Portuguese outlet A Bola, there is a meeting between the 59-year-old and Portuguese FF president Fernando Gomes scheduled.

The report states that Mourinho will spend Christmas in his home country before returning to Italy to prepare for the return of Serie A.

Before returning to Rome, however, he will meet with Gomes and ‘the theme of the meeting is not secret’.

An official offer to manage the national team is expected to come following the meeting.

Mourinho is under contract with Roma until 2024, meaning it will expire when the European Championships are taking place.

Speaking in April 2021, Fernando Santos actually suggested that the Chelsea legend would be a good replacement for him.

He told Radio Renascenca: “That project lasts until 2024, and I committed myself to him until that time.

“But after then I will think about what I want to do. Jose Mourinho would be a good replacement for me.”

And Mourinho has previously discussed his desire to manage a national team, and what nation fits better than his home country?

He said in 2020: “Yes, I want to coach a national team, I want to have the experience of a World Cup and European Championship, the emotion of the short competition.

“Is Portugal the one I want to do? On one side yes as it is my heart. But it is very difficult to do it with the country you were born in.”

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