In a surprise move, none other than Jose Mourinho (nick-named ‘the special one’) has been formally offered to coach the Syrian national football team by the Syrian Arab Federation for Football. However, Mourinho is yet to respond to the enquiry.

The full mail, which was sent to Mourinho in Spanish, can be read in the picture below:



In the mail sent by Syrian Secretary General, Kouteiba al-Refai, he wrote: “We would like to make an official offer to Jose Mourinho”. He further noted: “We are open for negotiations as to reach a deal between both parties”.

While the war in Syria is ongoing, most major cities in the country are under government control. In late 2014, rebels surrendered Syria’s third largest city, Homs. Subsequently, many residents returned and just last week, the city witnessed its very first football match since the beginning of the crisis. A picture from this event can be seen below:

Mourinho has been jobless since late December, after he seemingly flopped during his 2nd stay at Chelsea. However, the Portuguese coach has spearheaded none other than Real Madrid, Inter Milan, Benfica and Porto.

While his latest job at Stamford Bridge did not go to plan, Mourinho does hold an impressive resumé. In ten seasons of club management, Mourinho has led his club to win its domestic league eight times, the UEFA Champions League twice and the UEFA Cup once.

Between 2003 and 2012, Mourinho did not go a single calendar year without winning at least one trophy.

Syria on the other hand, has never qualified for the World Cup – however, the team has participated in the Asian Cup five separate times. Furthermore, given the nation’s recession and ongoing devaluation of its currency, the Syrian Arab Federation is unlikely to be able to match Mourinho’s wage demands.

However, Mourinho has shocked the world audience many times before with surprise career moves. Even though Al-Masdar News does not normally cover sports, we will continue to follow this specific story and Mourinho’s reaction to the job offer.