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Mourinho "hours away" from being England boss

Other News Materials 28 March 2011 14:45 (UTC +04:00)
Jose Mourinho revealed on Monday that he would have replaced Steve McClaren as England coach in 2007 had it not been for a last-minute change of heart.
Mourinho "hours away" from being England boss

Jose Mourinho revealed on Monday that he would have replaced Steve McClaren as England coach in 2007 had it not been for a last-minute change of heart, DPA reported.

Mourinho left Chelsea in September that year, two years before the England job fell vacant after the failure to qualify for Euro 2008.

"I was hours away - I almost signed up for the England national team," he told l'Equipe.

"But at the last minute I began thinking, 'I am going to coach a national side, there will be one match a month and the rest of the time I will be in my office or overseeing matches. And then to have to wait until the summer to compete in a European Championship or a World Cup'? No, it wasn't for me.

"So at the last moment I pulled back, preferring to wait for the right job to come along, a good club, a challenge that could motivate me. That was Inter (Milan)."

Mourinho was out of football for nine months before moving to Milan in June 2008. After winning the Champions League last year, he moved on to Real Madrid.

"When I left Chelsea, the first month was fantastic. I went to Africa, to Japan, I did tons of things I had not been able to do," he said.

"The second month was also good, but from the third onwards it was horrible, just awful."

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