Jose Mourinho dismisses retirement, eyes long management career
Jose Mourinho has insisted retirement remains firmly off his agenda and suggested he could continue managing into his 70s—while appearing to aim a thinly-veiled dig at long-time rival Pep Guardiola, reports BritPanorama.
The 63-year-old returned to Real Madrid this summer for a sensational second spell in charge, committing his future to the club by signing a three-year contract.
Mourinho, already looking considerably further ahead, revealed he can envisage spending at least another decade in management. Speaking in his new three-part Netflix documentary, **MOURINHO**, the Portuguese coach admitted the prospect of walking away from football is almost impossible for him to contemplate.
“I cannot even imagine when I am going to stop my life in football,” Mourinho stated. “I say 10 more years, but maybe more than 10. It’s fun. It was, it is and will always be fun. I want to win more titles. I want to win new titles. I want to repeat titles. I want to do it in places where I have never been. I want to do it in places where I did before.”
Mourinho has been working as a manager for more than a quarter of a century, taking his first senior job with Benfica in 2000. His remarkable career has led him across Europe, managing clubs such as Porto, Chelsea, Inter Milan, Real Madrid, Manchester United, Tottenham, Roma, and Fenerbahce. Yet he believes the thrill of operating inside packed stadiums remains as powerful as ever. “My world is to walk in a football stadium with 50,000 or 90,000 [fans]. I had 100,000. That is my world,” he added.
He also shared his perspective on managers taking extended breaks from football. “Some guys, they need a sabbatical—which is something that I hate. I hate that word,” he said. Mourinho’s comments could be interpreted as a dig at Guardiola, who took a year off following his departure from Barcelona in 2012 before taking charge of Bayern Munich.
For Mourinho, a sabbatical has never appealed to him, describing it as a sign of “weakness.” He said, “For me, sabbatical means weakness. Don’t speak with me about sabbaticals. I never need a rest. I will have a rest when he [Mourinho points to the sky] decides to say: ‘Come up’.”
More than a decade after their rivalry ignited during Mourinho’s first stint at Real Madrid between 2010 and 2013, he is back at the Bernabeu, showing little appetite for slowing down. It’s a reminder that in the world of football, the adrenaline continues long after the age expectations would suggest a different path. The stadiums, it seems, still have more to offer than just matches — they provide the lifeblood for those who thrive in the game.
