Once the hottest property in football management, Jose Mourinho's stock has been in decline for a number of years, and his sacking by Roma poses the question as to what comes next for the self-styled 'Special One'?
Mourinho's availability would have previously put Europe's leading clubs on high alert, but with his tactical approach considered outmoded in some quarters and his behaviour often incendiary, his next opportunity may well come away from the elite of the sport.
That could mean an emerging market like the Saudi Pro League or the MLS, or even a national team job, although you'd imagine Mourinho still views himself as one of the world's top club football coaches.
Might we see him back in the TV studios, perhaps on a temporary basis, or will his desire to coach lead him back into the dugout at the earliest opportunity, even if it means operating at a slightly lower level?
Below we look at what might be next for Mourinho.
Saudi Pro League
Whatever Mourinho's perceived flaws, he remains one of the biggest personalities in world football and a magnet for media attention. At a time when the Saudi Pro League is attempting to aggressively grow its brand, you'd imagine his name is already being mentioned in boardrooms all over the kingdom.
Al Ittihad have endured a nightmare defence of their SPL crown and dispensed with the services of Nuno Espirito Santo in November, while results have hardly picked up since the appointment of his replacement, Marcelo Gallardo. Could we even see Mourinho reunited with compatriot Cristiano Ronaldo at Al Nassr? The two have had their ups and downs but based on recent praise of one another, the relationship seems in a good place. Mourinho himself has already spoken about a potential move to the SPL.
"Doors are always open for me in Saudi Arabia. I want to feel the development there," he told ESPN in October 2023. "Cristiano was the first to go there and give a different perspective immediately. The players thought at first that it was a one-man show, but they realised in the summer that everything was really changing.
"Many players, not just at the last period of their careers, but also some players at the best years of their careers, are coming. Because the competition is real, not just at domestic league, but also the AFC Champions League is very interesting."
Back to the Premier League
Mourinho's love affair with the Premier League has taken him to Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur, while he was at one time the preferred candidate for the England national team job.
The difficulty there is would any of the top clubs take him? His bridges are probably burnt at his former clubs. Chelsea want a manager capable of working with their legion of intensely data-modelled juveniles, while Daniel Levy famously turfed out Mourinho the night before a cup final. United are also heading in a different direction in what will come as a blow to the nearby Lowry Hotel where Mourinho once stayed for 895 consecutive nights at a cost of half a million pounds.
Liverpool or Arsenal fans would probably riot given the things he has said about them in the past, while Manchester City is obviously a non-starter. Newcastle? He would love the chance but Eddie Howe's position seems secure for the time being. How about West Ham? David Moyes' job seems perennially under threat, or even Crystal Palace should Roy Hodgson depart in the summer? He could try and improve on the efforts of former Al Jazira boss Frank de Boer at Selhurst Park, a man he famously dubbed "the worst manager in Premier League history".
National team job
Another avenue Mourinho has spoken of in the past is a move into international management. The natural choice would be his native Portugal but with Roberto Martinez breaking records in qualifying matches and preparing the team for Euro 2024, that would appear highly unlikely.
Recent reports had somewhat incongruously linked him with the Brazil national team job with the CBF apparently keen to employ a European coach to give the Selecao a more rigid tactical structure – who better than the ultimate pragmatist Mourinho? – but they have now gone in another direction with the appointment of Dorival Jr.
It seems inevitable that we will one day see Mourinho on the touchline at a major international tournament, but that will probably be in his dotage as some sort of grizzled, eccentric hired gun with anecdotes and air miles to burn.
A new European adventure
So far we've seen Mourinho manage with great effect in Portugal, England, Spain and Italy. So how about a foray into one of Europe's other major leagues?
It's hard to picture him in Germany where the coaches seem to get younger, tracksuits tighter, and the football more energetic by the season, but there are certainly a few clubs in France where he might be considered a good fit.
PSG's Qatari bosses are of course long-term admirers, while fallen giants Lyon seem in desperate need for a figurehead to reverse their fortunes.
And just imagine Mourinho at Marseille, a move that would no doubt delight the club's infamous ultras and in equal measure chill to the bone the matchday stewards at the Stade Velodrome.
Another club with a fanatical support is Napoli, and with them languishing in mid-table and Walter Mazzarri unlikely to have a long-term future at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium, could Mourinho yet find another home in Italy?
Reality TV or punditry
Mourinho's sustained success at the top level of European football has been to the detriment of TV coverage everywhere with the acid-tongued Portuguese having undertaken precious little punditry work.
He enjoyed a short stint with Sky Sports in 2019 after leaving Manchester United and you'd think broadcasters everywhere would love to have him.
Meanwhile, his enduring celebrity is sure to result in reality TV offers, whether that be dancing, ice skating, or regaling fellow campers in the jungle with tales of Marco Materazzi, or the one about the time he signed Steve Sidwell, all while chewing on ostrich genitals.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
THE CLOWN OF GAZA
Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah
Starring: Alaa Meqdad
Rating: 4/5
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
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'Saand Ki Aankh'
Produced by: Reliance Entertainment with Chalk and Cheese Films
Director: Tushar Hiranandani
Cast: Taapsee Pannu, Bhumi Pednekar, Prakash Jha, Vineet Singh
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The candidates
Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive
Ali Azeem, business leader
Tony Booth, professor of education
Lord Browne, former BP chief executive
Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist
Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist
Dr Mark Mann, scientist
Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner
Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister
Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
What is dialysis?
Dialysis is a way of cleaning your blood when your kidneys fail and can no longer do the job.
It gets rid of your body's wastes, extra salt and water, and helps to control your blood pressure. The main cause of kidney failure is diabetes and hypertension.
There are two kinds of dialysis — haemodialysis and peritoneal.
In haemodialysis, blood is pumped out of your body to an artificial kidney machine that filter your blood and returns it to your body by tubes.
In peritoneal dialysis, the inside lining of your own belly acts as a natural filter. Wastes are taken out by means of a cleansing fluid which is washed in and out of your belly in cycles.
It isn’t an option for everyone but if eligible, can be done at home by the patient or caregiver. This, as opposed to home haemodialysis, is covered by insurance in the UAE.
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
Herc's Adventures
Developer: Big Ape Productions
Publisher: LucasArts
Console: PlayStation 1 & 5, Sega Saturn
Rating: 4/5
Zakat definitions
Zakat: an Arabic word meaning ‘to cleanse’ or ‘purification’.
Nisab: the minimum amount that a Muslim must have before being obliged to pay zakat. Traditionally, the nisab threshold was 87.48 grams of gold, or 612.36 grams of silver. The monetary value of the nisab therefore varies by current prices and currencies.
Zakat Al Mal: the ‘cleansing’ of wealth, as one of the five pillars of Islam; a spiritual duty for all Muslims meeting the ‘nisab’ wealth criteria in a lunar year, to pay 2.5 per cent of their wealth in alms to the deserving and needy.
Zakat Al Fitr: a donation to charity given during Ramadan, before Eid Al Fitr, in the form of food. Every adult Muslim who possesses food in excess of the needs of themselves and their family must pay two qadahs (an old measure just over 2 kilograms) of flour, wheat, barley or rice from each person in a household, as a minimum.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
SHOW COURTS ORDER OF PLAY
Centre Court (4pm UAE/12pm GMT)
Victoria Azarenka (BLR) v Heather Watson (GBR)
Rafael Nadal (ESP x4) v Karen Khachanov (RUS x30)
Andy Murray (GBR x1) v Fabio Fognini (ITA x28)
Court 1 (4pm UAE)
Steve Johnson (USA x26) v Marin Cilic (CRO x7)
Johanna Konta (GBR x6) v Maria Sakkari (GRE)
Naomi Osaka (JPN) v Venus Williams (USA x10)
Court 2 (2.30pm UAE)
Aljaz Bedene (GBR) v Gilles Muller (LUX x16)
Peng Shuai (CHN) v Simona Halep (ROM x2)
Jelena Ostapenko (LAT x13) v Camila Giorgi (ITA)
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA x12) v Sam Querrey (USA x24)
Court 3 (2.30pm UAE)
Kei Nishikori (JPN x9) v Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP x18)
Carina Witthoeft (GER) v Elina Svitolina (UKR x4)
Court 12 (2.30pm UAE)
Dominika Cibulkova (SVK x8) v Ana Konjuh (CRO x27)
Kevin Anderson (RSA) v Ruben Bemelmans (BEL)
Court 18 (2.30pm UAE)
Caroline Garcia (FRA x21) v Madison Brengle (USA)
Benoit Paire (FRA) v Jerzy Janowicz (POL)
Things Heard & Seen
Directed by: Shari Springer Berman, Robert Pulcini
Starring: Amanda Seyfried, James Norton
2/5
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In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
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More on animal trafficking
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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More on animal trafficking
Naga
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
The biog
Favourite hobby: taking his rescue dog, Sally, for long walks.
Favourite book: anything by Stephen King, although he said the films rarely match the quality of the books
Favourite film: The Shawshank Redemption stands out as his favourite movie, a classic King novella
Favourite music: “I have a wide and varied music taste, so it would be unfair to pick a single song from blues to rock as a favourite"
