As featured on NewsNow: Football news

Mourinho: I should never have chosen Roma over Portugal

Jose Mourinho admits he regrets choosing AS Roma over Portugal.

Sacked by Roma in January, Mourinho was offered the Portugal job last summer.

He told EA Korea: "Which national team would I coach? It's normal, Portugal. I had the chance to go there twice, but they didn't come at the right time for me. I got emotional when I didn't accept the last offer, because I decided to stay with Roma and I think I made a mistake. Because now Portugal has a fantastic team, one of the best, I knew, but I felt a great connection with Roma, with the fans, so I didn't want to take that decision.

"The Portugal opportunity has come twice, but I believe that a third will also come and I will take it, hoping that the generation I will have will be as strong as this one."

Mourinho also said: "The two finals with Roma were the most difficult to reach, perhaps even the Europa League with Manchester United was very difficult because they were two teams that when I arrived were in a very difficult situation.

"Some coaches are perhaps smarter and more intelligent and therefore choose the right job with the ideal conditions to achieve success. I need to always work, feel that I am doing something and I am helping. Sometimes they are unfair because I can't be expected to win trophies when my team isn't the strongest."

Video of the day:

Carlos Volcano
About the author

Carlos Volcano

×

Subscribe and go ad-free

For only $10 a year

  1. Go Ad-Free
  2. Faster site experience
  3. Support great writing
  4. Subscribe now
Launch Offer: 2 months free
×

Subscribe and go ad-free

For only $10 a year

Subscribe now
Launch Offer: 2 months free