Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho claims that he came very close to taking up the England managerial job, after leaving the Blues in 2007.
The 51-year-old Portuguese had just departed Chelsea on a mutual consent due to a disagreement with owner Roman Abramovich on 20 September 2007, after finding a lot of success with the West London club.
Although Mourinho admitted that he wanted to stay on in England, he could not do so due to a clause in his Chelsea contract. The only way for him to stay in England was by taking up the Three Lions managerial job.
Head coach Steve McClaren had just been sacked after England failed to qualify for the 2008 European Championships. And Mourinho, who was desperate to stay on in England during that time, revealed that he had been tempted to take up the Three Lions managerial job.
"At that time I could not get an English club because of my contract when I left Chelsea ... I couldn't get an English club in the next two years. I could get the national team but not a club," said Mourinho, according to the Guardian.
The former Porto boss claims that he was backed to take up the job by many English players from different Premier League clubs.
"Come, come, come. My players [Chelsea] said, 'The guys from Manchester United and Liverpool call us and say to us: Tell your boss to come.' I had lots of positive things to push me."
However, Mourinho, who is currently serving as a World Cup ambassador for Yahoo, says that his wife Matilde advised him not to take up the job.
"My wife told me not to take it and she was right. It was the right decision. We are talking about seven years ago ... and I cannot wait two years for a big competition. I cannot be spending two years playing against Kazakhstan and San Marino," added Mourinho.
"What would I do during the week? I could go to see the players training with their teams, I ask for permission to spend time with them and to have individual coaching with them ... I have to work with them, I can improve things. I'm not going to stay at home, I have to travel, I want to see the players, I want to participate in their evolution blah, blah, blah, blah. But in the end my wife was saying: 'No football, no matches, is not good for you.' And she was right."
Mourinho, who says that he may consider taking up a international managerial job in 15 years time, claims that he doesn't have any regrets for turning down the England job.
"It was not the job for me seven years ago, it's not the job for me now and I don't think it will be the job for me in seven years' time. Maybe in 15 years from now but not seven."
