The rate of unemployment has dropped this morning after José Mourinho was able to secure himself a wee temp job for the next few months.
Not content to draw down on his £20 million severance package courtesy of former employers Manchester United, the 'Adaptable One' has decided to try a few new things since being sent on his way by the Old Trafford suits.
Qatari based sports broadcast giant beIN Sports jumped at the chance to get first word with post-United Mourinho in an interesting couple of guest appearances throughout the recent Asia Cup tournament. And why not? Putting José Mourinho, Andy Gray and Richard Keys in front of the one camera is a bonafide worldwide ratings winner, one would think.
The camera loved old José nearly as much as he loved the camera; the Portuguese manager revelling, as always, in an environment where all eyes were on him, as he dictated the pace.
Mourinho calls finishing 2nd with #MUFC last season as "one of the best jobs of his career".#beINMourinho #beINAFC #AsianCup2019 pic.twitter.com/O2AKi1x2fP
— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS_EN) January 17, 2019
Mourinho names the best team he's managed.#beINMourinho #beINAFC #AsianCup2019 pic.twitter.com/Xp0ErA2hha
— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS_EN) January 17, 2019
Fast forward a couple of weeks, and he was courting the lens again with an unexpected appearance in Russia. This time things didn't go quite as well for the 56-year-old, ending up on his arse and ruining a good carpet, when dropping the puck for a Russian hockey match between Avangard Omsk and SKA Saint Petersburg. One job José! You had one job.
Jose Mourinho and an infamous slip, only it's not Anfield in 2014.#OptusSport pic.twitter.com/qMbqX7nBxC
— Optus Sport (@OptusSport) February 5, 2019
Undeterred, if a little sore, Mourinho will put himself in front of the Russian cameras again after taking on a punditry role with Russia's biggest TV channel, Russia Today.
The two-time Champions League winning coach will give his tuppence worth on the closing stages of this season's competition for the broadcaster and has released a cheeky little ditty of a promo to help whet the appetite.
Jose Mourinho is to follow in the illustrious footsteps of Julian Assange, Alex Salmond, and Jesse Ventura in hosting a show on Russia Today. The next step is a Russian passport and run for Balashikha city council on the United Russia ticketpic.twitter.com/YK5kmaVxvQ
— max seddon (@maxseddon) February 11, 2019
What this almost certainly does mean is that we are unlikely to see Mourinho gracing a dugout until, the very earliest, next season.
Maybe not a bad thing, all things considered.
