Jose Mourinho Reveals How Close He Was To Taking The England

• Ben_Ng69

  28 Mar 11, 21:23

  

  Bernabeu boss reveals he nearly took the Wembley hot-seat after Stamford Bridge exit.

   

  Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho says he was ‘hours’ away from accepting the Football Association’s offer to become the England head coach.

  In 2007, Steve McClaren had lost the national job and Mourinho was searching for new employment after being released from Chelsea.

  FA officials approached the ‘Special One’ to revive the nations hopes and fortunes after failing to miss out on qualification for Euro 2008.

  But Mourinho, despite being tempted, decided to stay in club football and The FA went for Fabio Capello instead.

  Mourinho was not short of offers in this period and said he nearly went for Paris St Germain but was put off by a major European City not having a thriving football team.

  “When I left Chelsea, the first month was fantastic,” he told L’Equipe. “I went to Africa, to Japan, I did tons of things I had not been able to do.

  “The second month was good too, but from the third onwards it was horrible, just awful.

  “I was hours away – I almost signed up for the English national side.

  “But at the last moment I began thinking: ‘I am going to coach a national side, there will be one match a month and the rest of the time I will be in my office or supervising matches. And then to have to wait until the summer to compete in a European Championship or a World Cup’? No, it wasn’t for me.

  “So at the last moment I pulled back preferring to wait for the right job to come along, a good club, a challenge that could motivate me. That was Inter.”