Jose Mourinho says he turned down a 'big offer' to coach in China
Jose Mourinho isn't blaming anyone who chooses to join the Chinese Super League, but you won't catch him there anytime soon. A month ago he told reporters he's too young to leave for the CSL, and now Mourinho reveals he's already turned down a big-money move to China.
"I have already refused a big offer to go to China, but I don't criticize anyone who decides to do it," the Manchester United manager told GQ.
Mourinho says he understands the worry managers around Europe have expressed with the growing financial threat the CSL poses, but also why players might choose to go there.
"No, I share the concerns. If you are negotiating a new contract with one of your players, and you offer him £5 million per year and they offer £25 million, then you have a big problem. Maybe the player takes £5 million because he prefers football. Or £25 million because he prefers money."
Mourinho reiterated his belief that it's the player's choice, making sure not to miss a chance to take another shot at his rivals, but he also made a point of saying that competing at the highest level might not be top priority for players choosing China over Europe.
"It’s their choice, their life," he said. "Only they can decide what they need for their future. Other managers in the Premier League have been critical, but I am no critic. I am worried, because they can offer contracts that are impossible to offer in Europe. But in the end the player who wants to go is a player that maybe you don’t want to keep.
"Imagine the guy who is 24 or 25, and he wants to go? At 24, or 25? OK, goodbye, be happy," elaborated Mourinho. "The player who is 31 or 32, and they go for a few years and then come back with a bank account full, OK. But when they are young and they have a chance to be in the best competitions, and they still decide to go, well maybe it is better that they go."
In summary: no judgement from Mourinho, but still more than a little bit of shade. "The Special One" might not blame players for choosing the money in China, but he definitely has a pretty clear belief of where those players' priorities lie. Just don't expect his own priorities to shift anytime soon.
