Jose Mourinho has received a surprise job offer from a Saudi Arabian club in a role that he has never worked in before, according to reports. The former Manchester United and Chelsea boss has been out of work since January, when he was sacked by Roma after a disappointing spell of results.
Mourinho has been linked with several top jobs over the last few months, including a potential return to United if Erik ten Hag is sacked in the summer. He was also mentioned in connection with Liverpool after being spotted at their recent game against Fulham, but he will not be joining the Reds with Arne Slot already in line to replace Jurgen Klopp.
It remains to be seen where Mourinho will end up next, with the Portuguese boss said to have received an unusual offer to work in Saudi Arabia. According to Sportitalia, second-tier club Al-Qadisiyah have offered him a role as their new technical director, which would be a step into the unknown for the 61-year-old.
Only time will tell if Mourinho decides to accept the offer and become the latest high-profile name to move to the Gulf state. Last year, he admitted that he would like to follow in the footsteps of his compatriot Cristiano Ronaldo by working in Saudi Arabia one day.
“I will go to Saudi Arabia in some free time, but I am convinced that I will work there,” he said. “I don’t know when, but I am pretty sure of it. No one knows the future but I will definitely do this. Doors are always open for me in Saudi Arabia. I want to feel the development there.
“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.”
It comes after Besiktas vice-president Huseyin Yucel revealed that Mourinho had spoken to them about the manager’s job in a proposal that would see him reunite with Ricardo Quaresma, a player he fell out with at Inter Milan.
“We contacted Jose Mourinho a month ago and he welcomed our offer,” said Yucel. “We already resolved the economic details and will go to Italy next week so we can meet face-to-face. If we reach an agreement with Mourinho, then we will recommend he include Ricardo Quaresma in the staff.”
