LONDON — Jose Mourinho will finally be appointed manager of Manchester United this week, in place of
Louis van Gaal, who will not see out the final year of his contract at the club despite winning the FA Cup final
on Saturday.
The former Chelsea manager was approached at the end of April and his deal has been agreed, with Mourinho insistent that he has to begin work as soon as possible in order to ensure he is given the full summer to assess his squad and review the existing transfer targets.
Mourinho was at David Haye’s fight with Arnold Gjergjaj at the 02 Arena while Van Gaal collected the first trophy of the post-Alex Ferguson era with a 2-1 victory for his 10-man United over Crystal Palace in extra time. Mourinho declined to answer questions about his future.
Mourinho’s agent, the influential Jorge Mendes, is to go to Manchester tomorrow to tie up the loose ends. The deal was in place before this weekend and the club is simply trying to wait a decent amount of time before announcing the decision. There are no plans to parade the trophy — won by Jesse Lingard’s late goal — in Manchester.
In a confrontational post-match press conference at Wembley, Van Gaal did nothing to dissuade those in the room that he had taken charge of United for the final time and complained that the club had been unable to sign the players he wanted last summer. When asked if he would be in charge to defend the 12th FA Cup in United’s history, Van Gaal, who brought the trophy in with him to the media room and placed it in front of him on the desk, said: “I showed you the Cup and I don’t discuss it with my friends in the media. You have already asked me for six months. Which manager can do that which I have done? I don’t want to talk about leaving the club.”
He said he was proud of having won the first honour of the new era at Old Trafford: “It was three years ago that United had won a title. I am very proud that I am the first manager after Alex Ferguson. I have had a picture (taken) with him because that’s history.
“Last season I have asked for players but you don’t think the players I have asked for have come? That’s what I have said already in many press conferences. It is not easy when United come for a player … when United come in the price is much more than double. Then you have to decide if you have to do that or not. The policy of this club is to play with youth players and that we have done also.”
Although Mourinho worked under Van Gaal at Barcelona between 1997 and 2000, and the two men are friends, there has been no hesitation on the Portuguese coach’s part about taking the job from his former boss.
Mourinho will start work as soon as he is announced as the new United manager, and is expected to speak to as many of his new players as he can either before the European Championships or — if he is given permission — during the tournament.
The delicate nature of the negotiations have required complete secrecy and the timing of it needed to be sensitive to Van Gaal, for whom the United board have the highest regard.
The Dutchman’s failure to qualify for the Champions League was a factor in the decision but Mourinho had been approached before then.
The Portuguese was impatient to get on with the job and was prepared to walk away from negotiations if United allowed them to drag on into the summer. He has been given assurances that he will get the necessary resources and stability to take on Pep Guardiola across town at Manchester City.
He recognises that Guardiola’s plans at City are well advanced and that no time can be wasted in getting his United squad into shape — especially with such a major rival on his doorstep. THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH
MOURINHO’S TROPHY CABINET
FC Porto – Primeira Liga (2003, 2004); Portuguese Cup (2003); UEFA Cup (2003); Champions League (2004); Portuguese Super Cup (2003)
Chelsea – Premier League (2005, 2006, 2015); FA Cup (2007); League Cup (2005, 2007,2015); Community Shield (2005)
Inter Milan – Serie A (2009, 2010); Italian Cup (2010); Champions League (2010); Italian Super Cup (2008)
Real Madrid – Primera Division (2012); Copa del Rey (2011); Spanish Super Cup (2012)
