Roma are on retreat in Portugal, more precisely at Albufeira, as the federation is courting José Mourinho to succeed Fernando Santos on the bench of the national team. The Special One has extensively refused to address the rumors in the last few days, avoiding talking to the press.
According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, the gaffer won’t leave the Giallorossi and won’t pull double duty in the short term. However, he might accept the offer at the end of the season, if it’s still there. He’ll complete the campaign with the capital side.
At that point, Mourinho would have just a year left on his contract with his team, potentially simplifying the negotiation with Portugal. In the meantime, he hopes the Giallorossi become more aggressive on the transfer market, replicating the investments of his first summer at the helm. Instead, they have tightened the belt in recent windows, also due to the Financial Fair Play.
Roma would want compensation to free up the boss from his contract. It doesn’t contain a release clause. He earns €8M per year, which could be tough to match for the federation. He could settle for less given the nature of the opportunity, but it would still be a mammoth disbursement for a national team.
Our Take on Mourinho and Portugal
It’d be stunning if he bolted right away, but that doesn’t appear to be in the cards. On the other hand, the option would have steam if they went with a caretaker manager for a few months, keeping the seat open for the summer. If the Giallorossi continued to transition to a less opulent era, the demanding and ambitious coach might decide not to stick around.
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