Roma coach José Mourinho ‘convinced’ he’ll work in Saudi Arabia one day

Last updated: 2023/10/07 at 5:34 PM

BigP Published October 7, 2023

Roma coach José Mourinho is confident that he will work in Saudi Arabia one day, according to a new report from ESPN.

“I will go to Saudi Arabia in some free time, but I am convinced that I will work there,” said Mourinho in an interview with MBC Egypt TV Channel, which is owned by Saudi MBC Group. “I don’t know when, but I am pretty sure of it.

“No one knows the future, but I will definitely do this [working in Saudi Arabia].”

A flood of player have signed with the Saudi Pro League since Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo joined Al Nassr.

“Cristiano was the first to go there and give a different perspective immediately,” Mourinho said. “The players thought at first that it was a one-man show, but they realized in the summer that everything was really changing.

“Many players — not just at the last period of their careers, but also some players at the best years of their careers — are coming because the competition is real.”

Mourinho, 60, went on to share that he previously rejected a substantial offer from Saudi Arabia, opting to stay with Rome for a third season after leading the team to win the UEFA Conference League and one UEFA Europa League final appearance. He’s off to a shaky start this season, however, as Roma sits at 2-2 and 13th in Serie A.

“Doors are always open for me in Saudi Arabia; I want to feel the development there,” added Mourinho, who currently serves on the board of directors of Mahd Academy, which focuses on talent discovery in Saudi Arabia.

Mourinho has two UCL titles to his name and has led teams to domestic league titles in Italy, Spain and England.

Time will only tell if he turns his dreams of working in Saudi Arabia into a reality.

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