Prior to losing to Portugal in the World
Cup, England tried to capture the services
of Luiz Felipe Scolari, who ultimately then
scripted their downfall only weeks after he
seemed set to accept an offer from the
English FA.
This week, with odds being slashed and
José Mourinho an "automatic" choice for the
England hot seat, he released a statement on
his agent's web page ruling himself out of
contention for a job observers estimated
would have netted him almost 40 million
euros over four years, had he accepted the
FA's advances.
In the statement, Mourinho confirms there
had been "exploratory contacts" between his
agent Jorge Mendes and FA officials.
"After Steve McClaren left the England
football team, my representatives maintained
contact with the FA. In that sense, I had
myself useful discussions with Brian Barwick
and Trevor Brooking where we exchanged ideas
to evaluate the entire situation about the
England squad, and set the goals in case of
a real invitation being addressed to me",
said the former Chelsea and FC Porto
manager.
"After deep and serious thinking, I
decided to exclude myself from being England
manager despite being a fantastic position
for me.
"I'm sure the FA will hire a great
manager, one able to place the team back
where it belongs. I reiterate my respect for
English football and, after three good years
in England, I firmly believe that the
England squad will soon be back to their
usual great results", concluded one of the
most successful managers this decade, who is
now being tipped to take over one of the
European heavyweights such as Barcelona or
AC Milan.
