Five jobs Jose Mourinho may have his eye on after Jean-Michel Aulas confirms Lyon snub
Jose Mourinho supposedly rejected the Lyon job because he has already decided on his next club, so where could that be?
Posted Friday, October 11, 2019 by Express.co.uk
The five clubs Jose Mourinho may have his eye on joining (Image: GETTY)
Lyon president Jean-Michael Aulas has revealed that he exchanged text messages with Jose Mourinho over the vacant managerial position at Parc Olympique Lyonnais.
The Ligue 1 club sacked former Arsenal and Barcelona defender Sylvinho earlier this week following a dismal start to the season which has seen them collect just nine points from nine league matches.
"We [Aulas and Mourinho] had some fairly flattering exchanges over SMS. It was nice for everyone,” Aulas revealed in a telephone press conference on Thursday morning. “He did not accept our proposal to meet because he has already chosen another club.”
So, if those claims are true and Mourinho has in fact already chosen his next position, where could it possibly be and how long will he have to wait to return to the hot-seat?
Paris Saint-Germain
It’s a job that Mourinho has always been tipped for and now would be an attractive period to take over the reigns at the Parc des Princes.
PSG's Qatari investors and president Nasser Al-Khelaifi are desperate for the club to win their first ever Champions League and Mourinho could be the man to do just that.
Their squad is littered with world class talent, diversity and plenty of big characters and Thomas Tuchel is clearly struggling to get the best from them on the basis of last season - and this.
But for now the German remains in charge and unless a secret agreement has been made for a later date, PSG looks an unlikely destination for now.
Jean-Michel Aulas has claimed Jose Mourinho told him he's chosen his next club (Image: GETTY)
Thomas Tuchel and Niko Kovac are under pressure at PSG and Bayern Munich (Image: GETTY)
Bayern Munich
Similarly to Tuchel at PSG, Niko Kovac is treading on thin ice at the Allianz Arena and there is little margin for error this time around.
Having coached in Portugal, England, Italy and Spain, the project in Bavaria may appeal to Mourinho as a chance to test himself in yet another country.
Despite winning the Bundesliga, Kovac has struggled to deal with a number of big characters in the dressing room during his tenure including James Rodriguez and Thomas Muller, who now wants out.
Yet as proved in the 7-2 win at Tottenham in the Champions League, Bayern are still among the best on the continent and therefore would be worth waiting for if an opportunity was to arise.
Tottenham
It was reported on Tuesday by the Daily Mail that Mourinho is interested in replacing Mauricio Pochettino at Tottenham.
The Argentine is under severe pressure in north London after an alarming dip in form which has raised doubts over whether Pochettino has taken the team as far as he can.
With their incredible new stadium and arguably the world’s best striker in Harry Kane, there is every reason why Mourinho might fancy the job, particularly knowing he could potential seek revenge on former clubs Manchester United and Chelsea.
The Portuguese found it difficult to work under restrictions from the board at Old Trafford and it’s difficult to see operating with same kind of limitations as Pochettino has done under Daniel Levy without kicking up a fuss.
Jose Mourinho is reportedly eyeing replacing Mauricio Pochettino at Tottenham (Image: GETTY)
Lyon sacked Sylvinho this week but Jose Mourinho turned down the job (Image: GETTY)
Everton
Everton supporters may be dreaming of Mourinho, but that’s about as good as it’s likely to get unless Goodison Park chiefs are willing to break the bank.
They’re currently paying Marco Silva over £3m per year to be their boss and if they were to sack him, they will have to pay off the rest of his current deal which runs until 2021.
Mourinho’s deal at United was worth in excess of £18m per year and therefore there is a staggering gulf between the two figures.
Nonetheless, Silva’s job is hanging by a thread meaning the board could swing the axe soon and the position may be available.
Marco Silva is on borrowed time at Everton, but they're unlikely to be able to afford Jose Mourinho (Image: GETTY)
It's no secret that Jose Mourinho is keen on a return to Real Madrid (Image: GETTY)
Real Madrid
Mourinho is understood to be very keen on returning to the Bernabeu and has a strong relationship with president Florentino Perez.
The 56-year-old recently said that his work in Madrid was the managerial experience he holds closest to his heart as he continues to flirt with a return to the La Liga giants.
"Real Madrid was my best experience because of what I learned as a coach, as a man, for the lessons that I took in my career and in my life. It is the best memory of my career, it was fantastic,” Mourinho told Portuguese TV, as reported by Marca.
Zinedine Zidane is currently feeling the pressure, which seems crazy given that his side sit two points clear of Barcelona at the top of La Liga.
Real Madrid are yet to win in the Champions League this season, which has not been received well by supporters given their love affair with the competition under Zidane.
There is every chance Mourinho is waiting in the wings for things to go wrong so he can make his long-awaited return.
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