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MANCHESTER UNITED

Mourinho takes veiled swipe at 'His Excellency' Pogba

The former Manchester United boss was guest speaker at the ANTF Coaches Forum, which took place in Portimão in Portugal.

FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Premier League - Manchester United v Fulham - Old Trafford, Manchester, Britain - December 8, 2018  Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho reacts   Action Images via Reuters/Carl Recine  EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unaut
CARL RECINEAction Images via Reuters

José Mourinho was one of the key guests at the ANTF Forum for Portuguese football coaches staged in the Algarve town of Portimao. The Setubal born Mourinho maintained that he is content with managing no club at present but admitted that he was anxious to return to the game next summer. 

"I'm not suffering not having a team at present as I have time to consider things but truthfully I'd like to be back in the game for pre-season" affirmed Mourinho. 

Jose Mourinho
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Jose MourinhoPeter CziborraAction Images via Reuters

Pogba jibe

The former United boss also took time to have a veiled swipe at "Red Devil" Paul Pogba who Mourinho referred to as "his excellency". 

“We played a team close to Manchester and a player asked me if after the game he could return without the team and go on his own,” Mourinho explained, (a reference to the incident involving Pogba at Burnley). “I told him, ‘If we went to London and you wanted to stay there, that would be one thing. But this is close and makes no sense’. "I went to the press conference and when I arrived at the team bus, parked beside it was his Rolls-Royce with his chauffeur. The car was new and his excellency wanted to leave the stadium in his Rolls-Royce. Now how does one deal with this? 

Mourinho was also asked for his view on the forthcoming Champions League quarter final involving FC Porto stating that Liverpool's title aspirations may play into the hands of the Portuguese side.

Manchester United's Paul Pogba
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Manchester United's Paul PogbaANDREW BOYERSAction Images via Reuters

The Setubal coach also acknowledged his interest in overseeing the Portuguese national side one day but it was not in his current mid to short term plans.