Jose Mourinho has been suggested as the likely replacement to Eddie Howe at Newcastle United.
Jose Mourinho has confessed that St James’ Park was his worst nightmare as a Premier League boss.
Surprisingly, the Portuguese strategist only won one league match on Tyneside, a 3-1 victory in front of a deserted stadium during the Covid-19 pandemic. He defeated Newcastle United in the 2004-05 and 2006-07 League Cup campaigns, but unable to replicate such feats in the Premier League.
Mourinho, who is now a free agent after being fired by Roma, spoke out about his troubles at Newcastle amid talk of a move to the club. Eddie Howe retains the support of the Magpies’ management, but a fairytale appointment at St James’ Park, thanks to his Sir Bobby Robson ties, has refused to fade.
“I didn’t enjoy playing in Newcastle,” Mourinho said on the Vibe with Five podcast. “I’ve never won. When I went to Newcastle, it was always loss or draw. I won with Chelsea and Tottenham.
“But out of ten, I’d win one or two. There was no rivalry between Alan Pardew, Sam Allardyce, or any of them. I understood that playing at St James’ was really hard.”
The 61-year-old spoke openly about his emotional relationship with Robson, who coached him at Sporting Lisbon, Porto, and Barcelona. Mourinho was initially hired as an interpreter, but his ability to coach rapidly became apparent.
“Every time I think about him or speak about him, because I speak about him a lot with friends or family, I smile or tears (start) coming a little bit,” he said. “I had some very unique experiences with him. He paid for our lunches and dinners every time. I didn’t pay once, and he kept saying, ‘I have more money than you and less years to spend.'”
Leave a Reply