Jose Mourinho has been out of work since January, when Roma dismissed him after a poor start to the 2023-24 season. During his time at the Stadio Olimpico, the Portuguese manager guided the club to the UEFA Europa Conference League title in 2022 and followed it up with a run to the UEFA Europa League final just a year later. However, a poor run of results that left Roma 9th in the league led the club to part ways with him.
Despite being sacked at his previous four clubs (Roma, Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United, and Chelsea), Mourinho is still an elite manager. He has lifted the Champions League twice and won eight league titles in England (three), Portugal (two), Italy (two), and Spain (one). When recently questioned about his future, he stated: “I want to work tomorrow if possible, but I don’t want to make the wrong decision.”
So where could he end up? Here are the most likely destinations according to the latest soccer betting odds.
A Return to Portugal?
Mourinho has won pretty much everything there is to win in Europe. In fact, he is the only manager to win all three UEFA competitions: the Champions League, the Europa League, and the Europa Conference League. So why not return to his native Portugal?
There’s been speculation that it might happen, and he was recently questioned about returning to manage in the country. Mourinho simply said, “Why? Never say no, especially in football. My life is football, I can train anywhere, I have no problems.”
Although he has previously turned down the Portugal national team job while he was at Manchester United, Porto is being rumored as a possible destination. This is the club where he made his name by winning the Champions League in 2004, and the current manager, Sergio Conceicao, may as well depart if the club doesn’t win silverware this season.
Newcastle United
Jose Mourinho was touted among the most likely recruits when the Saudi Investment Fund (PIF) took over Newcastle United. However, Eddie Howe got the job and went on to achieve fantastic results, finishing fourth in the 2022-2023 Premier League season and securing Champions League football.
However, this season has been underwhelming for Newcastle and Eddie Howe, leading to Mourinho rumours. This intensified in early March when Mourinho was spotted meeting with Newcastle chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan at the Saudi Grand Prix.
Chelsea
Chelsea have been enduring a harder season under Mauricio Pochettino than anyone would have anticipated. Naturally, this has made many fans lose trust in the Argentinian, sparking rumours of a possible return to Stamford Bridge for Mou. In fact, disgruntled supporters recently sang the name of their former manager during a 2-2 draw with Brentford. At the same time, Pochetino has admitted that he doesn’t feel the “love” of supporters due to the difficulties he is experiencing in his first season at the club.
Mourinho will always be a popular figure at Chelsea, having won three Premier League titles, an FA Cup, and three League Cups across his two spells at the club. However, a move to Stamford Bridge isn’t the most likely option for Mou as it may be too early for Chelsea to fire Pochettino. Club owner Todd Boehly will have to be careful not to make a hasty decision, and it doesn’t feel like he will be rewinding time despite some fans calling for Mourinho.
Saudi Pro League
While Mou can always land a job at a top club, many people in football now see the Portuguese as a legend past his prime. This is especially due to the drastic change in modern football tactics, with emerging coaches now leaning towards the playing styles of Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp. So why not cave to the allure of the Saudi Pro League?
The league has been attracting top talent from Europe for over a year now, and Mourinho can take advantage of several opportunities in Saudi Arabia. This includes working with Cristiano Ronaldo again, as Al-Nassr will likely miss out on the opportunity to win the title this season. Furthermore, if Mou remains available for much longer, other clubs from the Middle East will surely get in touch.