Jose Mourinho wasn’t in the mood to speak about Real Madrid.
The Benfica coach is reportedly Florentino Perez’s top target for next season according to the very reliable The Athletic.
However, in Portugal they claim that Mourinho intends to stay at Benfica, and the coach has very much said the same.
Yet upon returning from a day trip to Milan, he wasn’t willing to comment either way.
Mourinho blanks Real Madrid questions
Mourinho was approached at the airport and after saying hello to a CMTV reporter, he then stayed silent when asked about joining Real, staying at Benfica, and if he’d spoken to Perez.
He then entered a taxi and hung up his suit to block the cameras from filming him.
Mourinho joined Benfica in September signing a two year deal with a break clause for a low fee after the first year.
He made that clause public when he was linked to Madrid in January, only for relations to deteriorate after he criticised Vinicius Jr who alleged abuse from Gianluca Prestianni.
Ever since he’s talked up staying at Benfica and expressed his desire for a more solid contract that he currently has.
However, all indications from the club are that a new deal is not coming, having been burnt in recent years by big pay-offs for coaches.
Mourinho on his future, Italy and the World Cup
Mourinho was briefly asked about his future at the event in Milan, but not specifically about Madrid, and instead spoke about international management.
“My next objective is to take Benfica to the Champions League,” he said of the future.
On the Portugal job he added: “It’s not the right time yet.
“I think about it, but then I also think about my life without football and the day-to-day life at a club: without training every day, without winning, losing and drawing three times a week.
“Being happy, being sad, frustrated, wanting to improve… I can’t imagine my life without these things. The moment to take on a national team hasn’t arrived yet.”
Mourinho has also been linked to the Italy job, and expressed his sadness over their national team, having coached in the country with Inter and Roma.
“It’s sad,” he said. “When you didn’t qualify, I was with [Benfica presdient ]Rui Costa and we couldn’t believe it: ‘How is it possible that our Italy didn’t qualify?’, we asked ourselves. But it’s real, it happened.
“I don’t think we need a foreign coach. Italy has coaches with charisma, quality, experience… They may not have Carletto, but they may have Max [Allegri], Antonio [Conte], and there are certainly others too…
“However, there are some things that need to be rethought. For example, I see a country like Portugal with 10 million inhabitants: the competitions for young players, the working conditions… there are incredible differences.
“Then, you see the quality of the Portuguese players who appear every week, with the coach having difficulty choosing which players to exclude.”
Mourinho was then asked who he wants to win the World Cup and responded: “I’d like it to be Portugal, they have the potential to do it.
“Carletto is Carletto, even if people don’t believe Brazil can do it. But, for me, Brazil with Ancelotti is one thing and without him it’s another. I think they can do it.
“Argentina is the current World Champion and seems like a serious team: united, compact and happy to play for the national team.
“And then France, which with all the talent it has can form three competitive teams.
“One day, it will have to be England’s turn… But I think I’ll stay on vacation until the quarter-finals: there are too many teams that go there just to lose. The real party starts in the quarter-finals.”
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