Mourinho Reportedly Chose Real Madrid Over Portugal National Team Offer

José Mourinho reportedly turned down the opportunity to manage the Portuguese national team, opting instead to answer Florentino Pérez's call to return to the Santiago Bernabéu and steer Real Madrid out of their difficult situation. According to Spanish sports daily "AS," the Portuguese Football Federation initially approached "The Special One" in the weeks leading up to the World Cup. It had become clear that Roberto Martínez would not remain at the helm of the "Navigators," regardless of their performance in the tournament. The report suggests that discussions were very concrete, but the plea for help from Florentino Pérez proved more significant for Mourinho, who returned to Madrid 13 years after his previous stint.

This isn't the first time Mourinho has been offered the Portugal job. In 2022, when Mourinho was again managing Real, the federation sought to bring him in, proposing he juggle both roles. However, the Bernabéu hierarchy firmly rejected the idea.

"AS" further claims that Mourinho and Pérez maintained constant contact throughout the years, with their trust in each other remaining complete and unconditional.