Mourinho to Real Madrid? He’s likelier to go to Man Utd!
Robin Bairner
- Updated: 27 Oct 2023 22:21 BST
- 3 min read
Jose Mourinho was linked with an unlikely return to Real Madrid by Spanish reports this week, but if Sir Jim Ratcliffe completes his takeover at Manchester United, the ‘Special One’ is likely to find himself back at Old Trafford.
Ratcliffe is close to buying a minority stake in the Red Devils from the Glazer brothers and is poised to take over sporting control of the team.
He’s got experience in working in football, of course, with his Nice side riding high in Ligue 1 after several failed attempts to get lift off at the Allianz Arena.
The method of success that Ratcliffe’s side are using, however, is unlikely to be one that quickens the pulses of Man Utd fans, although it is doubtless one that Roma boss Mourinho would appreciate.
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Nice top Ligue 1 with Mourinho methods
Francesco Farioli’s side have climbed to the summit of Le Championnat off the back of tight, grinding victories.
Four of their last five matches have been won by a 1-0 margin, including Friday night’s fixture against second-from-bottom Clermont.
Nice set themselves up to be tough to beat, gave away few scoring chances, with Jean-Clair Todibo, a transfer target for present Man Utd boss Erik ten Hag, a standout performer against the Ligue 1 strugglers.
Last term, Les Aiglons were more about style than substance, this time around, the story could barely be any different.
L’Equipe has already offered backhanded praise for Nice by branding their style ‘Italian’ in that it values security over flair and excitement.
Sound familiar?
It’s certainly a brand of football that Mourinho is familiar with, and even if reports that he could return to Real Madrid as Carlo Ancelotti’s replacement next summer are mischief making by the Catalan press – it was reported in Mundo Deportivo after all – there are certain parallels to be drawn with the way that Nice are playing.
Of course, Mourinho will not be going to either Real Madrid or Man Utd next summer, but given Ratcliffe’s apparent satisfaction with a grinding style of football at Nice, would he be satisfied with a similar style at Old Trafford if it were to bring genuine success?
