The secret is finally out-the England football team will not have the former Chelsea boss and the self-proclaimed ‘Special One’, Jose Mourinho, as their manager. After prolonged discussions with the English Football Association (FA) hierarchy, Mourinho decided to pull out of the race to the post of English football manager.
Mourinho was reportedly one of the top contenders to become England boss after the English team failed to qualify for Euro 2008 and Steve McLaren,the then England coach, was subsequently sacked. However, the Champions’ League winning manager ( with Porto and Chelsea) said that, after talking with FA executives Brian Barwick and Trevor Brooking and giving the matter some ‘ deep and serious thinking’, he expressed his unwillingness to fill the post of England coach. He also expressed his ire at an unfulfilled promise for a job at a top European club.
Football fans had unanimously chosen Mourinho as their favourite to take up the English manager’s job after McLaren, and was indeed considered to be one of the front-runners ( along with Marcello Lippi, the world-cup winning coach of Italy, Fabio Capello, former Real Madrid boss, former Germany coach Juergen Klinsmann and current Aston Villa manager Martin O’Neill) to the post, until he expressed his unwillingness to compete for the job.
In a statement to www.gestifute.com ( owned by Mourinho’s agent, Jorge Mendes), Mourinho said,
After Steve McClaren left the England football team, my representatives maintained contact with the FA. In that sense, I had myself useful discussions with Brian Barwick and Trevor Brooking where we exchanged ideas to evaluate the entire situation about the England squad and set the goals in case of real invitation being addressed to me. After deep and serious thinking, I decided to exclude myself from being England manager despite being a fantastic position for me. I’m sure FA will hire a great manager, one able to place the team back where it belongs. I reiterate my respect for the English football and, after three good years in England, I firmly believe that the England squad will soon be back to their usual great results.
source:edition.cnn
