Jose Mourinho says he is ready to make a return to management this summer and refused to rule out a move to Saudi Arabia.
The Portuguese was sacked by Roma in January after two-and-a-half-years in charge but insists his batteries are recharged and he is ready to examine new offers.
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Speaking to Fabrizio Romano, he said: “Sometimes when you end at a club, you feel the need for a rest, a think, process things. In this case, one day after I left I was ready to go.
“I feel strong, I feel good and I love the work. I am really ready but I don’t want to make the wrong choice. I can’t accept something just because of the feeling and just because of the passion, so I have to be patient.
“March, April…it’s very difficult [to get a new job] so my objective is to start in the summer.”
Mourinho has been linked with Newcastle United, who are owned by the Saudi Public Investment Fund, as well as jobs based in Saudi Arabia itself.
And the 61-year-old, who rejected an offer from Al-Hilal to remain at Roma last summer, refused to rule out managing in the Middle East at some point.
He added: “Cristiano [Ronaldo] opened the door in terms of people believing it is possible to be there, to live there, to enjoy there, to enjoy the development of a country that wants to be a different country, where football is a passion.
“When I had a proposal [from Al-Hilal], of course economically it was important but I refused it because what was more important to me was Roma and European football.
“If you ask me in the future, experience has taught me to say ‘never say never’.”
🚨 EXCLUSIVE – José Mourinho: “I’m ready to start again. I don’t need to rest or think as usually happens… I’m ready”.
“I feel strong and good, I’m really ready. But I don’t want to make the wrong choice”.
“I have to be patient. My objective is to start again next summer”. pic.twitter.com/NwWQO9J2Gj
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) March 26, 2024
Mourinho enjoyed success in Europe with Roma, taking them to the Europa Conference League final in 2022, in which they beat Feyenoord 1-0, and the Europa League final 12 months later, where they lost to Sevilla on penalties.
The Portuguese feels that shows he is still able to cut it with the best coaches in Europe.
“It feels like this didn’t happen,” he said. “Because when people speak about me, they focus on what happened 15 years ago, 12 years ago, 10 years ago, eight years ago.
“In the last years I got into three finals – one with Man Utd [the 2017 Europa League final] and two with Roma. If you focus on just the last two years, I am the only one with European finals so I look on it with a little bit of fun but also pride.”
