Strongest hint yet that Mourinho is returning?
The TV channel was heavily criticised as they stopped Mourinho in his tracks during his revelation in favour of a four-minute advert break ahead of the news.
ITV reporter Gabriel Clarke asked Mourinho if he fancied his chances in next season’s competition with Real Madrid, he replied:
“Maybe not… I want to be where people love me.”
Clarke then said:
“We’ll take that as England, we’ve got to go.”
In their defence ITV would say that it was important to get the news on at the correct time but their advert-clogged coverage has long been criticised and I think Clarke just bottled it, why couldn’t he have continued with the interview off-air and it be shown on the news or published on the website? He was onto an exclusive in which Mourinho more or less admitted he was leaving the Spanish capital but was about to intimate where his next destination may be, it was wasted on ITV.
Luckily, more words came during Mourinho’s post-match press conference:
“I know in England I’m loved. I’m loved by the fans, I’m loved by the media that treats me in a fair way, criticising me but giving me credit when I deserve it.
“I know I’m loved by some clubs, especially one, and in Spain, the situation is a bit different because some people hate me. Many of you are in this room.”
I’m starting to think that perhaps my theory which involved Mourinho going to Paris instead of Chelsea may be wide of the mark and Jorge Mendes’ visits in the French capital are nothing to do with the Portuguese manager, but in relation to player transfers.
Of course nothing has been confirmed yet and Mourinho was also adamant of this as he said that he must remain respectful to his current club and won’t reveal anything official until the end of the campaign, but he looks certain to leave and has been panned by his critics in the Spanish press today (even the Barca-friendly papers) as he predicted.
For a while I thought that re-appointing Mourinho wouldn’t happen because it doesn’t follow the direction of youth development and attacking football that we’ve been going in over the past few years. However, perhaps Mourinho knows that he is no longer the hottest property in football as he has the likes of Pep Guardiola to contend with and the impressive Jurgen Klopp emerging amongst others. I’m hoping that if he does come back then he must settle, must work towards something that is lasting and tangible.
Is Mourinho coming back to Chelsea and has he agreed to see Roman Abramovich’s vision for the club through?
