Following
Jose Mourinho's sacking by Chelsea, we look at where he could go next…
Paris Saint-Germain - Sky Bet odds 4/1
London, Milan, Madrid…Paris? Mourinho has worked in some of the fashion
capitals of Europe during his managerial career and a role at Paris
Saint-Germain would add another to his list. Mourinho is familiar with the
PSG project and a switch to the Parc de Princes seems a good fit, too.
Ahead of Chelsea's Champions League last-16 clash with PSG last season,
Mourinho revealed he had been targeted by the French club's Qatari owners in
the past and had twice been flown to the Arabian Peninsula to discuss their
plans for the team.
"I know the PSG project well, I know it well because when they start this
project with the owner, the president and [then sporting director] Leonardo,
I was to be the coach," he said. "Paris is a big team with big ambitions."
Mourinho was in charge of Real Madrid at the time of the offer and turned
down PSG to focus on his ambition of adding the Spanish league title to his
collection.
Now, after winning three Ligue 1 titles in a row, PSG have set their sights
on European glory. Could two-time Champions League winner Mourinho be
tempted by the project this time around?
Bayern Munich - Sky Bet odds 5/1
Another club enjoying dominance at home but aspiring for further European
success is Bayern Munich. Current boss Pep Guardiola has overseen
comprehensive back-to-back Bundesliga wins but, despite delivering
consecutive semi-final appearances in Europe's elite club competition, the
Spaniard has so far been unable to add to Jupp Heynckes' 2013 Champions
League triumph.
Crucially, Guardiola - who has been repeatedly linked with a move to the
Premier League - is out of contract at the end of the season and his future
is uncertain.
Club legend Lothar Matthaus has already made clear who he'd like to succeed
Guardiola. "There are only two coaches abroad who fit Bayern's profile: Jose
Mourinho and Carlo Ancelotti," he said. "These two should be right at the
top of Bayern's shortlist if they are available in the summer of 2016."
Inter Milan - Sky Bet odds 16/1
Former Inter Milan president Massimo Moratti claims that in the summer of
2013, after being appointed Chelsea boss, Mourinho told him "In three years,
we'll meet again at Inter". The Italian, who is now honorary president, said
in 2014, "I know that Mourinho would return willingly to Inter".
Make of that what you will, but Mourinho undoubtedly enjoyed enormous
success during his two seasons in Milan. In 2008/09 Mourinho won Serie A by
10 points and the Italian Super Cup. The following campaign he led Inter to
a famous treble, securing Serie A, the Coppa Italia and the Champions
League, with a memorable victory over Bayern Munich at the Bernabeu sealing
his legendary status in the club's history.
"At Inter I left something special behind," Mourinho told Gazzetta TV in
February this year. "Now [two-time European Cup winning manager] Helenio
Herrera and Mourinho are the highest points in the history of the club. I
left crying, but my embrace with Massimo Moratti also showed that he
accepted I had done something fantastic with all of them."
Juventus have been crowned Italian champions for the past four seasons.
Could Mourinho be the one to end their dominance with a return to San Siro?
International duty - Sky Bet odds 10/1
Mourinho claims to have already turned down opportunities to manage the
Portugal and England national teams. He says he was put off by the prospect
of waiting months between fixtures and prefers the hectic schedule of club
management.
However, with Euro 2016 next summer, international opportunities will
potentially become available after the tournament and, having conquered
Portuguese, English, Italian and Spanish domestic football, Mourinho may
feel the time is right for the next chapter in his managerial career.
It seems an unlikely prospect, given he said in 2014 that an international
role "Is not the job for me now and I don't think it will be the job for me
in seven years' time. Maybe in 15 years from now but not seven." But should
England or Portugal fail in France next summer, there will undoubtedly be
calls from fans for Mourinho to be considered.
Other options
How about a return to Real Madrid? Mourinho won the Spanish league and cup
with Real between 2010 and 2013. "If he is not anymore at Chelsea and [Rafa]
Benitez is not doing well at the end of the season here, I don't rule out
he's going to be back here," former Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon
said in October. "The president is really looking for that." Monaco have
also been linked with the Portuguese.
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