SPAIN: FOOTBALL/SOCCER - Jose Mourinho says he will not take charge of the Portuguese national side

Record ID: 735314

  • Title: SPAIN: FOOTBALL/SOCCER - Jose Mourinho says he will not take charge of the Portuguese national side
  • Date: 18th September 2010
  • Summary: MADRID, SPAIN (SEPTEMBER 17, 2010) (REUTERS) REAL MADRID COACH JOSE MOURINHO ENTERING NEWS CONFERENCE PHOTOGRAPHER CLOSE UP OF MOURINHO MOURINHO AT NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) REAL MADRID COACH JOSE MOURINHO, SAYING: "I can't say yes. Because I am Real's coach. I owe Real. Because I have a job I am passionate about, which absorbs me, and that will be for the next four years, I hope to be here for four more years of my contract. But I wasn't able to say no objectively and everyone has his capacity to persuade or not and Real listened to me. From there and on I'm out, out of conversations and out of taking decisions." JOURNALISTS AT NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) REAL MADRID COACH JOSE MOURINHO, SAYING: "Saying no is impossible. I can say no and then go to Portugal tomorrow showing my face and people will say 'Hey, you're so selfish'. I have nothing to win with this but I can't say no. Due to my personal pride, my Portuguese pride, I can't say no." (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) REAL MADRID COACH JOSE MOURINHO, SAYING: "I'm not playing that game. I play in San Sabastian on Saturday and against Espanyol on Tuesday and that's what I worry about. If I get six points out of that, perfect. I'll be happy." MOURINHO LEAVING NEWS CONFERENCE
  • Embargoed: 3rd October 2010 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Spain
  • Country: Spain
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVABXNZ6S92H97A9T48SKHS9CBNC
  • Story Text: Jose Mourinho will not accept an offer to take temporary charge of the struggling Portuguese national team for next month's Euro 2012 qualifiers, the Real Madrid coach said on Friday (September 17).
    Mourinho was approached by Portugal's football federation (FPF) and asked if he would take over for the qualifiers at home to Denmark on Oct. 8 and away to Iceland four days later.
    He told a news conference at Real's training ground on Friday he was unable to accept the offer as he believed his club would not have reacted positively to his absence.
    "For personal pride and passion for Portugal I couldn't say no but I can't say yes either," Mourinho said.
    "I owe Real. Because I have a job I am passionate about, which absorbs me, and that will be for the next four years.
    Portugal sacked Carlos Queiroz this month after he was suspended for six months for insulting anti-doping agents before the World Cup and have yet to name a replacement.
    They have had a poor start to their qualifying campaign, with a 4-4 home draw against Cyprus and a 1-0 defeat in Norway.
    Real Madrid are preparing for the team's next La Liga clash against Real Sociedad at the Anoeta Stadium in San Sebastian on Saturday (September 18).
    When asked about rivals Barcelona's match against Atletico match on Sunday (September 19) Mourinho said he was not interested but was focused on moving forward in the Spanish League.
    "I'm not playing that game. I play in San Sabastian on Saturday and against Espanyol on Tuesday and that's what I worry about. If I get six points out of that, perfect. I'll be happy," he said.
    The 47 year old coach will be without midfielders Kaka (knee) and Fernando Gago (knee) and defenders Raul Albiol (ankle) and Ezequiel Garay (knee), who are all injured.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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