Tottenham Hotspur have announced the appointment of José Mourinho as their new manager on a contract that will run until the end of the 2022-23 season, following the sacking on Tuesday of Mauricio Pochettino.
Mourinho adds Spurs to a long list of previous clubs he has managed including Porto, Internazionale, Chelsea, Real Madrid and Manchester United. The Spurs job will be his first managerial role since being sacked by United in December last year.
“I am excited to be joining a club with such a great heritage and such passionate supporters,” said Mourinho in a statement released by the Premier League club. “The quality in both the squad and the academy excites me. Working with these players is what has attracted me.”
Daniel Levy, the chairman of the club, said: “In José we have one of the most successful managers in football. He has a wealth of experience, can inspire teams and is a great tactician. He has won honours at every club he has coached. We believe he will bring energy and belief to the dressing room.”
Mourinho, described in a club statement as “one of the world’s most accomplished managers”, has won 25 senior trophies, including a domestic title in a record four different countries. He has also won the Champions League twice with two clubs – Porto and Inter.
The 56-year-old won three Premier League titles over two spells in charge of Chelsea and returned to England to manage Manchester United in 2016. He was sacked last December following a poor run of results and has been out of work since, most recently working as a pundit for Sky Sports.
Pochettino was dismissed after five-and-a-half years in charge, less than six months after he took Spurs to the Champions League final, with the club lying 14th in the Premier League after 12 matches.
The Spurs and England forward Harry Kane paid tribute to Pochettino, saying “you were my manager but my friend as well”. The striker posted on Twitter: “Gaffer. I’ll be forever thankful to you for helping me achieve my dreams. We’ve had some amazing moments in the last five and a half years that I will never forget. You were my manager but my friend as well and I thank you for that relationship. Good luck with your next chapter!”
Max Allegri, the former Juventus manager, and the Bournemouth manager, Eddie Howe, had also been linked with the Spurs job. Mourinho has turned down a number of opportunities to coach abroad, including with clubs in China, Spain and Portugal, since his Old Trafford exit. His first match in charge will be the London derby away to West Ham on Saturday.
On 4 December Mourinho will return to Old Trafford, where he was sacked as Manchester United manager on 18 December last year. Spurs also face Bayern Munich away and Chelsea at home in December before facing league leaders Liverpool at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on 11 January.
source: theguardian.com
