Jose Mourinho ideally desires to get again to work instantly and met a number of senior Saudi figures throughout his go to as a part of a visit sources say was made for “due diligence and relationship constructing.”
The 61-year-old had a meet-and-greet with Newcastle and PIF chairman Yasser Al-Rumayyan.
He additionally mentioned life in Saudi and a transfer to the Kingdom with Turki Al-Sheikh, who’s the chairman of the Saudi Leisure Authority and probably the most influential and best-connected sports activities executives in Saudi. Mourinho and Al-Sheikh are long-standing mates.
Mourinho was involved with Saudi FA president Yasser Al-Misehal and sports activities minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal. The latter desires to contain him within the sports activities ventures that type a part of Saudi’s Imaginative and prescient 2030.
Jose Mourinho will think about a transfer to the Saudi Professional League
Mourinho has mentioned up to now he thinks he’ll work in Saudi sooner or later and was the topic final summer season of a £100m+ contract supply from Al-Hilal. He selected to remain at Roma, solely to get replaced by Daniele De Rossi in January. This got here as a shock to Mourinho, who’s eager to get again into work as quickly as potential.
“I don’t need to relaxation, I need to work,” mentioned Mourinho. “It’s simply that I don’t need to make the incorrect determination. I’ve to attend for the fitting choice, one which motivates me. But when I may work tomorrow, I’d.”
Mourinho was approached by new Al-Shabab chairman Mohamad Al-Munajem however no settlement was reached to handle the membership.
And it’s understood centralised Saudi dealmakers need Mourinho to both handle one of many 4 PIF-controlled golf equipment or the Saudi nationwide group.
Al-Hilal usually are not anticipated to make one other supply as a result of Jorge Jesus has them high of the league and nonetheless within the Asian Champions League.
Al-Nassr additionally went out of the Asian Champions League on Tuesday, shedding to UAE-side Al-Ain on penalties within the quarter-finals. Cristiano Ronaldo is predicted to enter on any potential supervisor change forward of the summer season.
However Al-Ahli supervisor Matthias Jaissle can also be not completely protected. Following a big-spending summer season that noticed Riyad Mahrez and Bobby Firmino each arrive, the Jeddah-based membership are solely third within the Saudi Professional League and virtually 20 factors off the highest.
Mourinho is also thought of as a alternative for Roberto Mancini, though the Italian solely joined in August, and on a long-term contract till 2027.
Saudi crashed out of the Asian Cup within the spherical of sixteen after a 4-2 penalty shootout loss to South Korea, and Mancini has a barely tense relationship with native media since he’s not been afraid to switch established stars.
Nevertheless it’s clear Mancini is considering the long run, which could but purchase him appreciable time even with Mourinho a free agent. Gamers like Salem Al-Dawsari, Salah Al-Shehri, Mohammed Al-Breik and Ali Ali-Bulaihi are all of their thirties and youthful expertise should be given alternatives with the 2034 World Cup in thoughts.
This finally means prioritising the event of under-21 gamers given the match is ten years away. However there’s additionally two World Cups earlier than that, and Mancini is predicted to get Saudi to at worst the knockout stage in 2026. First Saudi should qualify after all.
It’s not unattainable that Mourinho is taken into account as a alternative for Mancini between now and 2026. All of it relies upon how a lot persistence the Saudi FA has with the Italian, however maybe the Saudi FA are ready to play the lengthy recreation with Mourinho if wanted. Their president Al-Misehal will take the ultimate name.
Saudi have gained each their second-stage qualification video games as they give the impression of being to succeed in for the inaugural expanded World Cup in America, Canada and Mexico, however their Asian Cup exit has not merely been brushed apart by key executives throughout the Saudi FA.
“I may have been the [England] coach,” he instructed FIVE. “I had it there on the desk, however turned it down as a result of I at all times considered nationwide group jobs as one thing I wouldn’t take pleasure in.”
A 3rd return to Chelsea has additionally been spoken of for Mourinho, and could be a short-term PR win in lots of methods. However sources preserve Chelsea’s homeowners are nonetheless backing Mauricio Pochettino and planning to evaluate him on the finish of the season. Plus, Mourinho shouldn’t be essentially considered as a long-term resolution or match with Chelsea’s mannequin.
With Mourinho a free agent, the expectation is Saudi dealmakers push fairly arduous to see if they’ll discover a function for him, and sooner relatively than later. And if Mourinho is true to his phrase that he desires to work in Saudi sooner or later then there’s a reasonable likelihood they succeed.