Jose Mourinho may not be the ‘Special One’ he was once considered, but he is still a managerial commodity for Europe’s top clubs.
Paris Saint-Germain are believed to be eyeing the Portuguese man as their next manager, with Christophe Galtier expected to leave the club this summer.
Fresh from leading his Roma team to a 1-0 first-leg Europa League victory over Bayer Leverkusen, could Mourinho be on the way to one of Europe’s elite?
What | Bayer Leverkusen v Roma - Europa League semi-final 2nd leg |
Where | BayArena, Leverkusen |
When | 20:00, Thursday, 18th May 2023 |
How to watch | BT Sport 3 |
Odds | Bayer Leverkusen 21/20, Draw 9/4, Roma 3/1 |
Since the start of 2012, there has been a revolving door at the Parc de Princes with several top coaches going in and then leaving in a short space of time.
The likes of Carlo Ancelotti, Mauricio Pochettino, Thomas Tuchel and Unai Emery have sat in the PSG hot seat and none have been able to deliver the European success they crave.
The French giants are on course to win their fifth Ligue 1 title in a row, with the leaders currently holding a six-point lead over their nearest rivals, with just four games remaining.
But that is almost a given for the PSG owners, with the Champions League the trophy their main target. And now they face another summer of negotiations with a new manager.
Mourinho looks to be the main target and although he insists that no contact has been made, his European record is something that clearly appeals to PSG owners.
The former Manchester United and Chelsea boss has won five out of five European finals, including two victories in Europe’s top club competition with Porto and Inter Milan – who are 3/1 to lift the Champions League trophy this season.
Mourinho, who is now 60, laughed off the speculation when asked by the media if the French club had been in touch, saying: "If they called, they didn't find me."
Since 2012/13, PSG have only made it to the last four on two occasions and the final just once – when they lost to Bayern Munich in 2020. Is Mourinho the man to end that wait?
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With several big names expected to leave the French capital this summer, PSG need someone to rebuild the team and tell it how it is to some of the current squad.
Mourinho could be that man, and with his contract at Roma due to expire in the summer of 2024, now looks a good time for him to explore a new challenge.
The serial winner helped the Rome giants to their first trophy in 14 years last season, when they won the inaugural Europa Conference League title.
He has now led the Giallorossi to the last four of the Europa League, with the Serie A outfit currently 9/4 to lift the trophy in Budapest later this month.
Back in 2010, Mourinho led Inter to the Champions League title before leaving straight after to join Real Madrid and it could be a similar situation this time around.
The former Real boss has clearly enjoyed his time in the Italian capital, but a move to the French capital is likely to be too tempting, especially when considering the transfer budget he will have at his disposal.
To add further fuel to the speculation, Mourinho’s agent Jorge Mendes is known to be a close friend of the PSG sporting director Luis Campos.
The pair reportedly speak every day and that could be another factor as to why Mourinho is being strongly considered for the upcoming vacancy at the Parc de Princes.
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