Portugal have reportedly considered making AS Roma coach Jose Mourinho their next manager following their World Cup exit.
The 2016 European Championship winners crashed out of the event in Qatar in the quarter-final round after a narrow 1-0 loss to Morocco.
The loss has left manager Fernando Santos fearing for his job after the 68-year-old benched star player Cristiano Ronaldo for the game.
The long-serving manager has been criticised for the way he managed Ronaldo and his tactics in the loss to Morocco. And so, there is now a possibility that Santos could leave the national team, even with his contract not due to expire until 2024.
According to Italian outlet Corriere dello Sport via Sportsbible, Mourinho is the man that could replace Santos should he be relieved of his duty with the national team.
According to the report, the former Chelsea and Real Madrid coach has already held conversations with the Portuguese FA, and could possibly do the role part-time, alongside continuing his duties as Roma boss.
Mourinho will not be the first manager to two jobs should the deal materialise with Kevin Keegan taking charge of England and Fulham at the same time.
Mourinho has enjoyed success in every club he has coached. He led the Giallorossi to Europa Conference League success last season, making him the first manager to win the new competition, Champions League and Europa League.
The 59-year-old had previously revealed he was open to coaching a national team.
“Yes, I want to coach a national team, I want to have the experience of a World Cup and European Championship, the emotion of the short competition,” Mourinho said in 2020.
However, Mourinho did reveal that coaching his home nation might not be the best choice.
“Is Portugal the one I want to do? On one side, yes, as it is my heart,” he added.
“But it is very difficult to do it with the country you were born in.”
