Jose Mourinho has insisted his surprise offer to manage a ‘bottom of the table’ club in England was just a joke.
However, the legendary coach says he’s hopeful of sealing a return to the Premier League in the future.
Mourinho was back to his box office antics last Thursday when his Fenerbahce side drew 1-1 against Manchester United in the Europa League.
He suggested that his next club won’t play European football when he said: “I think the best thing I have to do is when I leave Fenerbahce I go to a club that doesn’t play UEFA competitions.
“So, if any club in England from the bottom of the table needs a coach in two years I am ready to go, and I don’t want to say anything more about it.”
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Mourinho’s comments raised eyebrows and the ambitious hopes of fans whose clubs sit lower down in the Premier League table.
However, those dreams have swiftly been dashed as the 61-year-old revealed he’s not keen on the challenge of a relegation scrap.
“I made a joke,” he told Sky Sports. “I’m never going to a team fighting relegation. I will never go.”
When explaining why he made the bold claim, he added: “I get upset, and I’m not in the period of my career to get upset.
“I’m in the period of my career to be happy all the time and at this moment playing in European competitions, I am getting upset all the time.
“But I’m not going to fight relegation. It’s too hard! Honestly, I believe that has to be the hardest thing.
“It’s more difficult than playing for titles. It has to be very hard emotionally, because it’s something that changes lives. I think it’s brave guys that do it.”
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Although Mourinho is avoiding relegation-threatened teams, he has in fact kept the door open for a potential Premier League comeback.
His first stint in the English top flight came with Chelsea, where he won back-to-back league titles in his opening two seasons.
Mourinho left in 2007 but returned seven years later to lift the Premier League trophy for a third time at Stamford Bridge.
He also had stints at United and Tottenham, and is seemingly setting his sights on going back at some point during his career.
“I had three clubs in England, so four different periods I’ve coached in England, and I love it,” he said.
“And by the social point of view, I’ve been lucky enough to live in so many cities, but my family lives in London.
“London is home, so one day I have to be back, unless no one wants me. But one day I would like to go back.
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“But don’t get me wrong, and let’s make it very very clear, for the next two years, this season and next, no one will take me from Fenerbahce.”
Mourinho has won nine of his 16 matches across all competitions as Fenerbahce boss after his appointment was confirmed in June.
They sit third in the Turkish Super Lig and eight points behind the reigning champions Galatasaray, although they have a game in hand.
Fenerbahce are also unbeaten in the league phase of the Europa League, a competition he won with United in 2017.
