Former Manchester United defender doesn’t hide admiration for the Portuguese coach.
Rio Ferdinand admitted on the ‘Vibe with Five’ podcast that he would “love” to see José Mourinho back in England and even outlined possible scenarios, although he considers any of them unlikely at this time. The Portuguese coach was fired from Roma just over a week ago and has reportedly turned down an offer from Al-Shabab in Saudi Arabia.
The former Manchester United defender initially suggested the possibility of the ‘Special One’ taking charge of the English national team. “I don’t think the federation would hire Mourinho; I would, but the federation is unlikely to go from Gareth Southgate to Mourinho. There’s a big difference in character and personality. It’s not going to happen.”
He then admitted that he would like to see the Portuguese manager take over Chelsea for the third time. “But it doesn’t seem likely. It would be a step backward, and I don’t think the Americans will do it. I would love to see José there again. I hope he gets hired if Pochettino isn’t doing well, but I think they will stick with Pochettino.”
In that case, Ferdinand proposed another possibility. “If it’s not Chelsea, where else could he go? I would love to see him at Newcastle. But Eddie Howe has been incredible, doing a good job, and I don’t see him leaving…”
It’s worth noting that in England, José Mourinho has previously managed Chelsea twice, Manchester United, and Tottenham.
