It was bittersweet news for soccer fans once Jose Mourinho was sacked as AS Roma coach. Although you may feel bad for the Portuguese manager, it caused fans to believe he would join their favorite club. But the former Chelsea boss has cut down the European supporters’ biggest fear of him moving to Saudi.
The Saudi Pro League has been aggressively offering massive chunks of money to the players and coaches joining them. But Mourinho declined his first potential move post-AS Roma role after initially expressing a possibility.
Saudi team fails test of acquiring Jose Mourinho
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Jose Mourinho has now rejected a move to the club Al Shabab. According to reports, Mourinho revealed it to senior journalist Pedro Morata: “I will not coach Al-Shabab Club.” The Portuguese manager was also spotted in Barcelona, where he reportedly signaled that he was not deciding on his future yet. However, the demand for one of the most decorated managers never runs out, which can soon land him at a top club.
🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨
عاااااااااااجل — مورينهو لـ بيدرو موراتا :
لن ادرب نادي الشباب
❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌ pic.twitter.com/ayLKAcT0aK
— Osama 🇸🇦 (@Siiros2) January 21, 2024
The 60-year-old was reportedly in talks with Domenico Tite, Al Shabab’s sporting director, while Jorge Mendes, his agent, was used for negotiations with the club. However, the exchanges between the two parties ended up being unfruitful. And currently, the manager is in rest mode and will wait until he finds an appropriate challenge. Al Shabab, on the other end, is looking for a breakthrough in their journey.
Unlike their Riyadh competitors, who bought Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar, Al Shabab could only gain the services of Yannick Carrasco for $16 million. Now, the club seeks Mourinho’s help to lift them from 11th in the table and just 4 points away from the relegation zone. But it looks like the Portuguese coach is looking for a bigger platform.
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Is Mourinho knocking on the doors of the national team after AS Roma spell?
The former Real Madrid manager had recently said that no one inquired about his availability for the role of Brazilian national team coach. Jose Mourinho expressed a desire to be the coach of a national side in 2020, and Carlo Ancelotti’s recent rejection of Brazil’s role raised the question: could this be a chance to fulfill his dream?
READ MORE – Ex-AS Roma Boss Fabio Capello Blasts American Billionaire Dan Friedkin For Sacking Jose Mourinho
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Mourinho was sacked because of AS Roma’s 9th position on the table. Although he led them to a Conference League victory in 2022 and a Europa League final in 2023, he could not qualify them for the UEFA Champions League since he joined. But their recent form of just one win in the last five games with him put the final nail in the coffin.
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