Jose Mourinho has been given a new job, but not as a coach. The former Manchester United manager left Old Trafford in December, and has spent his time since making the odd appearance on BeIN Sports as a pundit. And now, despite being linked with various clubs across Europe, Mourinho has a new role in the media, where he will indirectly cover United.
His new show -‘On the touchline with Jose Mourinho’ – will be broadcast on Russia Today and will feature Mourinho offering ‘unique analysis’ of each round of Champions League action. Beginning on March 7, that means Mourinho will be asked for his views on United’s last-16 games against Paris Saint-Germain among other ties, and his contract runs until the Champions League final on June 1.
In a trailer for his new show, filmed at an ice hockey game, Mourinho says: “I’m going to talk about football on RT, what else did you think I was going to do?” However, United fans hoping to hear about his exit from United will be disappointed, as the club reportedly inserted a ‘confidentiality clause’ in his severance packet.
Last month, a report said United inserted the clause in the package to make sure Mourinho does not talk about the circumstances surrounding his departure. And the report claimed United reminded Mourinho of that clause before his appearances on BeIN Sports’ coverage of Saudi Arabia and Qatar in the Asian Cup and Arsenal vs Chelsea in the Premier League.
Mourinho is said to have accepted the clause and United expect him to stick to the agreement, but it was also claimed United would have lawyers watching the broadcast to make sure. Mourinho has been linked with a return to Inter Milan and also former club Chelsea should Maurizio Sarri leave Stamford Bridge.
Meanwhile, David Moyes “should have been given more time” at Manchester United, says Peter Schmeichel, while Jose Mourinho would have been a better appointment than Louis van Gaal in 2014. Peter Schmeichel believes the man chosen to succeed Sir Alex Ferguson should have been given more time after enduring a tough start to his reign.
The Red Devils have endured a tough time on the managerial front since seeing Sir Alex Ferguson head into retirement. The Scot spent 27 years in charge of the Old Trafford outfit, but there have been five different coaches in the dugout in the six years since he departed.
Moyes lasted a matter of months, Ryan Giggs filled a caretaker post, Van Gaal managed two seasons, Mourinho two-and-a-half and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is now in interim charge. United legend Schmeichel has questioned some of the calls which have been made in Manchester, with it his opinion that persevering with Moyes would have delivered greater stability.
The iconic goalkeeper, who also feels Mourinho should have been landed sooner, told beIN Sports: “If we should have any regrets as Manchester United, that is that we only gave David Moyes seven months. I think we should have given him more time, accepted that results weren’t going to be the way we hoped they would be and that playing would be a little bit different. I believe he would have grown into that role. He has the personality and he had so many things he needed to learn and he didn’t have anybody to learn them from.”