10 February 2024 , 15:22
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Jose Mourinho has admitted coaching Inter Miami star Lionel Messi would be an "honour", with the 61-year-old available after leaving Roma last month.
"The Special One" has managed the likes of Benfica, Porto, Chelsea, Manchester United, Inter Milan, Real Madrid and Roma - but never got the chance to coach the eight-time Ballon d'Or-winning Argentine, who spent most of his playing career at Barcelona.
The pair's allegiances were on opposite sides mostly during their time together in Spain, when Mourinho was in charge of Barca's fierce rivals Real. Despite the rivalry, Mourinho hasn't been shy of admitting his admiration for the 36-year-old, who joined MLS outfit Inter Miami last summer after leaving PSG.
When asked which player he would have loved to coach in an interview with football influencer Ohm on YouTube, Mourinho admitted: "An example is Messi, he doesn't need to be coached. Who can say 'I was Messi's coach'?
"It seems absurd to me because he knows everything and was born with everything. Maybe he can teach you things. It would only be to say that I had the honour of having him in the team. Then there are a lot of players."
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Another name Mourinho admitted he wanted to coach was Roma great Daniele De Rossi, who ironically ended up replacing him after he was fired by Roma last month. De Rossi was regarded as one of Europe's top midfielders during his playing days. Another Roma icon Francesco Totti was brought up by Mourinho too.
"To stay on the subject of Roma, I would have liked [Daniele] De Rossi at Inter and Real Madrid, but it wasn't possible," he added, with his love for Roma still clear despite parting ways in January. "I also wanted [Francesco] Totti at Inter, despite his age, and it wasn't possible. They're always players you want to coach in your career."
Mourinho and Messi were always on opposite sides when they met (Getty)Whether Mourinho will get his "honour" is unknown, with Messi seemingly settled in Miami and not keen to return to Europe. Inter Miami also has a coach with an impressive resume in Tata Martino.
However, with high expectations placed on Messi and Co's shoulders, underperformance in the 2024 MLS season could put Martino under pressure. Martino has the likes of Messi, Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba, and now Luis Suarez to work with.
Inter Miami has endured a miserable pre-season too, with defeats coming in Saudi Arabia to Al-Hilal and Al-Nassr. The latter was a 6-0 demolition that saw ex-Manchester City star Aymeric Laporte score from inside his own half. A win over Ho