Manchester United hires manager Jose Mourinho on three-year deal
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Manchester United has hired Jose Mourinho as its new manager on a three-year contract, the club announced on Friday.
The deal includes an option to remain with the club until at least 2020.
The first reports that Mourinho would officially replace Louis van Gaal, who was sacked on Monday, emerged on Saturday, but the deal was reportedly held up as Mourinho and the club worked out conflicting endorsement deals.
“José is quite simply the best manager in the game today,” executive vice chairman Ed Woodward said. “He has won trophies and inspired players in countries across Europe and, of course, he knows the Premier League very well, having won three titles here. I’d like to take this opportunity to welcome him to Manchester United. His track record of success is ideal to take the club forward.”
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Mourinho, 53, was sacked by Chelsea in December after leading the team to a disappointing season. Despite Chelsea’s poor performance this season, Mourinho was the club’s most successful manager and has had success managing Porto, Inter Milan and Real Madrid, among others.
He won the UEFA Champions League with both Porto (2004) and Inter Milan (2010).
“To become Manchester United manager is a special honor in the game,” Mourinho said. “It is a club known and admired throughout the world. There is a mystique and a romance about it which no other club can match.”
