What next for Jose Mourinho after Manchester United?

Following his sacking from Manchester United this week, Jose Mourinho is standing at something of a crossroads in his managerial career. The Portuguese boss has now lost his job at Real Madrid, Chelsea and United in the third season of his tenure in charge, however the 55-year-old is already being linked with a move back to the Santiago Bernabeu.

56% of all bets placed on Mourinho’s next job in football have been placed on Real Madrid, a market which can be backed at best odds of 3/1 with William Hill. Mourinho was in charge of the Spanish giants between 2010-2013, leading the club to the La Liga title in 2012. Having famously returned to Stamford Bridge and Chelsea, Mourinho helped the Blues in lifting the Premier League trophy in his first season in charge, before moving to Old Trafford following his sacking in 2015.

With managing another club in England being very unlikely following his recent experiences, a move to one of his former clubs would appear more viable, along with a step into international coaching. Mourinho has never shied away from his desire to manage the Portuguese national team, who are currently European Champions following their success in France two years ago.

Despite his recent struggles, Mourinho is unlikely to be short of offers, with Bayern Munich and Inter Milan having both been linked with moves from the self-proclaimed “Special One”. Elsewhere, a more obscure move to China or Russia has also been muted, however such deals are unlikely to attract the interest of Mourinho, who still believes that he can coach at the top level.

It is not known at this point as to whether Mourinho will take a break until the end of the current season before returning to the game, however with Santiago Solari having been appointed as Real Madrid boss perhaps only due to rules over caretaker managers in Spain, a return to the Capital does look a likely option at this point.