Mourinho: Italy return ‘unlikely’

By Football Italia staff

Jose Mourinho admits he ‘doesn’t think’ his future will be in Italy as he still considers Inter ‘my home’.

Mourinho has been out of Italy since leading Inter to a historic Treble in 2010, and he remains hugely proud of his time with the Nerazzurri.

“Inter is my home and Moratti remains both my President and friend,” he told Tiki Taka.

“When I say he, I say family. It’s as if he was my family, and I feel his family in a special way: everyone here is really special.

“My job also consists of finding the empathy I had with Inter fans. I give my all. I join a club, I take the shirt, I wear it and I live with that shirt.

“I create empathy with fans and antipathy with opponents, but I believe this empathy is important for creating a bond and a special relationship with them.

“Afterwards, of course, when you win and trophies arrive, this empathy can be transformed into passion, which is what it was.

“There were crucial matches in the race for the Scudetto, Coppa Italia and Champions League. The victory in Kiev, for example, was the start of everything.

“The mega defeat in Barcelona [1-0] was ​​the best defeat of my life. After practically two weeks between the Finals of the Coppa Italia and Champions League, it almost looked like a movie with ‘the perfect end’ to a story that was fantastic for me.”

The Portuguese left the Beneamata for Real Madrid in 2010, so why did he?

“I knew it would go like this. The first year, after winning the League, which was almost normal for Inter, I understood the emotion of their fans so I could only imagine, after experiencing that emotion after the semi-final against Barcelona, what the city of Milan would be like after Madrid.

“Everyone in the squad, not just the players but also everyone one, was a big family: I preferred to leave before returning because it was already a difficult situation in the dressing room and I realised it would’ve been even more difficult on the bus.

“I knew that if I came back, I would’ve said ‘no’ to Real Madrid for the third time, but I had in mind to win La Liga and the Premier League, and I didn’t want to miss this third chance with Real.

“I haven’t worked for seven, eight months so we’ll see what happens, but I don’t think I’ll come back to work in Italy. It’s a sensation, but I don’t think my future will be in Italy.”

The 56-year-old was joined on stage by regular panelist and Serie A maverick Antonio Cassano...

“I laugh because I like him. I enjoyed having him as my opponent. Usually you have fun with your own players and not your opponents, but he was a very talented one and very fair.

“He’s someone who amuses people and he’s good for football. I remember Cassano, a talent that could’ve been better than what he was.

“However, I always say: ‘If you had fun, it’s not important that you didn’t do better than you could have. What matters is that you enjoyed yourself.’”

Watch Serie A live in the UK on Premier Sports for just £9.99 per month including live LaLiga, Eredivisie, Scottish Cup Football and more. Visit: https://www.premiersports.com/subscribenow