Former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho in talks to join Saudi giants after Roma sacking - Reports
Jose Mourinho has been linked to Saudi Pro League club Al-Shabab just a few days after his sacking at Roma, reports Italian journalist Gianluca di Marzio.
Mourinho is open to the idea of joining the Saudi club. Al-Shabab are looking to challenge the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr and Neymar's Al-Hilal within Saudi Arabia. Signing the legendary manager could be a massive step towards that.
If Shabab complete the signing within the next few days, Mourinho's first game in charge could be against his former club Roma in a friendly on January 24.
Al-Shabab have also been linked with some top European talent like Napoli winger Matteo Politano and Sevilla winger Suso. This could be a factor in wooing 'The Special One', as Jose refers to himself, to the club.
Mourinho's credentials speak for themselves. He has managed at some of the best clubs in football history. He has won the UEFA Champions League twice - in 2009-10 with Inter Milan, and unprecedentedly with Porto in 2003-04.
He won the Premier League thrice with Chelsea, the Serie A twice with Inter, and the La Liga once with Real Madrid. He has also won numerous other honors.
'The Special One' boasts of such impressive statistics under his belt and a reputation for turning around the fortunes of any club he joins. He would certainly be a world-class addition to any club in the world.
If Al-Shabab manage to complete his signing, he will undoubtedly make them one of the top contenders in Saudi Arabia and Asia. They are currently 11th in the Saudi Pro League standings.
Jose Mourinho leaves hidden messages for Roma in his farewell Instagram post
Jose Mourinho left cryptic messages for Roma fans as well as their owner Dan Friedkin in his farewell Instagram post to the club.
Jose has been publicly requesting a new contract all season, only for the owner Friedkin to deny his requests and sack him.
He shared a tearful montage of his greatest moments at the Stadio Olimpico. However, eagle-eyed users spotted hidden messages in the post.
The song used was Andrea Bocelli's 'Nelle Tue Mani' which translates to 'Now We Are Free', which could be a sly dig at the ownership. The caption of the post translated to:
“Sweat, blood, tears, joy, sadness, love, brothers, history, heart, eternity.”
The word for love, amor, was particularly interesting. The last letter r was capitalized, which read out as Roma backwards.
Jose publicly praised his bond with Roma fans as one of the best he had ever had in his career. However, he could already be on the move to Saudi Arabia in an attempt to conquer another continent in his illustrious career.