Jose Mourinho rules out taking Newcastle United job despite "emotional connection"

By Oliver Thomas, Senior Reporter | 19 October 2021

Mourinho rules out taking Newcastle job despite

Jose Mourinho rules out a potential return to the Premier League with Newcastle United, despite admitting that he has an "emotional connection" with the club.

Jose Mourinho has ruled out a potential return to the Premier League with Newcastle United, despite admitting that he has an "emotional connection" with the club.

The Magpies' current boss Steve Bruce was in charge for his 1,000th game as a manger for the 3-2 defeat at home against Tottenham Hotspur last weekend, though the 60-year-old's long-term future at the helm remains uncertain.

Mourinho has been the latest named linked with the potential vacancy at St James' Park; however, the Portuguese boss insists he is fully focused on his job with Serie A outfit Roma, who he joined this summer.

"On Newcastle, I don't have anything to say. Absolutely nothing to say," Mourinho told the press before Roma's 1-0 defeat against Juventus on Sunday.

"The only thing I can say is that for many, many years, I worked with one of the most important figures in the history of Newcastle, Sir Bobby Robson, and so because of that I have always had a bit of an emotional connection with that city and that fanbase. But it's nothing more than that."

"I am here, I am really happy to be here. I am 100% focused on the Roma project, the [Friedkin Group] project."

Mourinho worked as a translator under former Newcastle boss Robson during his time in charge of Sporting Lisbon, Porto and Barcelona, before he stepped into coaching.