Mourinho nearly took England job and was begged by Man Utd players

Jose Mourinho interrupted by Roma stars celebrating Conference win

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Since it’s the international break, and England are in action tonight, it’s time to wind the clock back. Years before Gareth Southgate got the job, Jose Mourinho actually nearly became manager of the Three Lions. Players from Manchester United and Liverpool wanted him to come, only for his wife Matilde Faria to prevent that from happening…

Back in 2014, just days before the World Cup in Brazil got underway, Mourinho gave an interview to The Guardian.

He revealed he was close to replacing Steve McClaren as England manager in 2007, shortly after being axed from Chelsea – despite winning two Premier League titles during his first stint at Stamford Bridge.

Holding a pen close above a piece of paper, Mourinho gestured. “This close,” he said about becoming England manager.

Mourinho had become the stuff of Chelsea legend, etching his name into Stamford Bridge history by delivering two titles on the trot with the Blues becoming the best team in the country ahead of Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United and Arsenal’s Arsene Wenger.

But with the Portuguese failing to get the best from Andriy Shevchenko, and results worsening, he was ruthlessly relieved of his duties by Roman Abramovich.

According to Mourinho, he was unable to take a job in England. But the national team, it seems, was a different matter entirely.

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“At that time I could not get an English club because of my contract when I left Chelsea … I couldn’t get an English club in the next two years,” he said.

“I could get the national team but not a club.”

Mourinho was tempted by England. On top of his old Chelsea players wanting him to come, so too did those who played for the likes of Manchester United and Liverpool.

“Lampard, Terry, Joe Cole, everybody, was saying, ‘Come, come, come,’” he said.

“My players said, ‘The guys from Manchester United and Liverpool call us and say to us: Tell your boss to come.’ I had lots of positive things to push me.

“You had Lampard and Gerrard in the best years of their career.

“Rooney was in the beginning of his maturity. You had a group of central defenders, all of them in the top moment of their career.

“Terry, King, Ferdinand, Carragher … Carragher was not even selected! He was coming in as the fourth or the fifth [choice].

“You have fantastic players and [are] never doing it. Why? I don’t know.”

In the end, however, things didn’t work out.

Mourinho revealed his wife, Matilde, had urged him against taking on the role. A decision that, at that time, he didn’t regret.

“My wife told me not to take it and she was right,” he stated.

“It was the right decision. We are talking about seven years ago … and I cannot wait two years for a big competition. I cannot be spending two years playing against Kazakhstan and San Marino.

“What would I do during the week? I could go to see the players training with their teams, I ask for permission to spend time with them and to have individual coaching with them … I have to work with them, I can improve things.

“I’m not going to stay at home, I have to travel, I want to see the players, I want to participate in their evolution blah, blah, blah, blah.

“But in the end my wife was saying: ‘No football, no matches, is not good for you.’

“And she was right. It was not the job for me seven years ago, it’s 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.”

Mourinho would end up taking over Inter Milan, where he’d win the treble before departing for Real Madrid.

He won La Liga prior to returning to Chelsea in 2013, while he’s managed Manchester United, Tottenham and Roma in the years since.

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