Jose Mourinho is open to the possibility of one day coaching in Major League Soccer but says there is no chance of him heading Stateside while his hunger for success in European club football remains.
The Chelsea boss, widely regarded as one of the best managers in world football, said he would be interested in coaching in the MLS to “give something back” to a developing football community.
But just as Mourinho has rebuffed opportunities to coach at international level, he has ruled out a switch anytime soon.
Asked if he ever saw himself coaching in the MLS, Mourinho told reporters: “One day, not now, for the same reason I say 'one day, not now' for national teams.
“Because for national teams it's one game every two months, one big competition every two years.
“Yes maybe I would like that one day but not now.
“For the MLS, yes, one day. But why not now? Because I want to be in the best competitions. I want to be in the Champions League, the Premier League, I want to have the biggest challenges.”
But Mourinho admitted he was attracted by the idea of helping the MLS develop.
“I would like to contribute with something where lots of people are loving the game,” he said.
“We feel we have to give something. Why not try to give something back?”
Several high-profile European and South American stars such as Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Andrea Pirlo and Kaka have all headed to the MLS in recent seasons, a trend that Mourinho applauds.
“We still miss these guys Kaka, Lampard, Gerrard,” said Mourinho. “But to have these guys can only help the league.”
Mourinho said as the global profile of the MLS improved it had given younger players “the idea of what the MLS can be.”
“Not just the end of their career for some but the beginning of their career for many,” Mourinho said.
“I think the league is going in the right direction. Soccer can't compete to be the number one in North America. But if I compare soccer now with 2004, which is when we came here for the first time, it's much bigger.” – AFP