Manchester United confirm Mourinho as their new boss
Manchester United have named former Chelsea and now Inter Milan boss Jose Mourinho as their new manager in succession to Sir Alex Ferguson.
Mourinho, who is currently on holiday with his family in California, will take over at Old Trafford on 1 July. "He is one of the world's top coaches with a record of success at club level," read a Manchester United statement.
Mourinho has won two domestic trophies in Portugal and has also led FC Porto to UEFA Cup and UEFA Champions League glory in 2003 and 2004 respectively. At Chelsea he won two consecutive Premier League titles and one FA Cup before leaving the club for Serie A champions Inter Milan in the summer of 2008. During his one year at San Siro he guided the club to a fourth consecutive Serie A title.
The 46-year-old Portuguese becomes the first ever manager to be appointed at Old Trafford since, the arrival of Sir Alex Ferguson from Aberdeen in November 1986, who remained at the helm for almost 23 years.
Bordeaux manager Laurent Blanc, new Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini and former Barcelona boss Frank Rijkaard had been in the running for the job but the appointment ends weeks of speculation after Ferguson decided to hang his coat at the end of May.
The Manchester United statement on their official website continued: "Mourinho gets the best out of a talented squad of players and his ambitions and expectations match ours. He was the outstanding choice. He has agreed terms with the club and has signed a four year contract which will see him at the club atleast till 2013."
Mourinho's reputation as a manager led him to be considered for the England manager's job in 2006 but he was reportedly put off the role because he still wanted to manage a top club. As he wanted to return back to England after spending a season in Italy with Inter Milan, he has taken the opportunity to be the next manager at Old Trafford.
The former Benfica, Uni?o de Leiria and FC Porto manager has three years of experience in the Premier League with Chelsea during which he guided the West London club to two consecutive Premier League titles, one FA Cup, one FA Community Shield and one Carling Cup.
Speaking before the appointment, Republic of Ireland and Manchester United defender John O'Shea said: "Good clubs not only need good players but also need a good manager and Mourinho is a good manager. He can do a good job (at Manchester United) and he will be good for the club."
And former Manchester United player Eric Cantona believes Mourinho, known as 'the Special One' because of his special management style and some weird tactics, could guarantee United supporters more success in the coming years.
"You can't argue with his record in the Premier League," Cantona told BBC Sport. "If you're looking for someone with charisma and presence in the dressing room, then he is your man. His teams achieve a lot of success and so I feel he could guarantee United faithful more success inform of titles in the coming years."
However, he warned that Mourinho lacked the tradition of bringing through young players. "My only question mark would be about his tradition of bring through some young players at United." said Cantona. "For example, Sir Alex, developed loads of young players at the club, will Mourinho be able to do the same."
Alan Hansen added: "I think its a very good choice. If you're going into that dressing room you've got to have one, a presence - he's got that - and two, a great track record in the Premier League, and he's got that as well. He's got the right credentials and he's done fantastically well with Chelsea and Inter Milan. The big players will find you out in a minute and a half, so it's a great choice."
Beckham: Mourinho the right man to succeed Sir Alex
Former Manchester United captain and midfielder David Beckham feels Jose Mourinho has the perfect character to lead the Red Devils forward.
The former Chelsea and Inter Milan manager is set to succeed Sir Alex Ferguson in the Old Trafford hotseat on July 1 following his return from holiday with his family in California.
The Portuguese's pedigree is beyond question, having led FC Porto to Champions League glory in 2004, then guiding Chelsea to two consecutive Premier League title and then leading Inter Milan to their fourth consecutive Serie A title last season.
Mourinho is known to be very similiar to Sir Alex Ferguson in interviews and Beckham feels he has the ideal personality to carry forward the legacy of Sir Alex Ferguson who managed the club for almost 23 years since his arrival in 1986.
Beckham told Sky Sports News: "He has everything going for him at this moment in time. If you look at his record in the past, that's how he's got this job. He has got the experience of managing a top European and English club and also he has achieved success with them.
"But I'd go back to the way that he conducts himself and the way he is as a man. He is very similar to what Sir Alex was. He is very straightforward during interviews and press conferences. He will do everything needed to achieve success for the team" added Beckham. "He's someone that United need to carry forward the legacy of Sir Alex."
Carlos Alberto backing for Mourinho 18th June, 2009
Carlos Alberto backs Jose to shine at Old Trafford
Vasco midfielder Carlos Alberto who is on loan from Werder Bremen is convinced that Jose Mourinho has what it makes to handle the big players at Manchester United.
Internazionale boss Mourinho has agreed to take over at Old Trafford at the start of next season and, with reports he is set to add to an already star-studded squad, he will have to make difficult decisions when selecting his teams.
But the 46-year-old has shown time and again that he is more than capable of dealing with that kind of pressure, not least when he threw the inexperienced Carlos Alberto into his Champions League winning FC Porto side in 2004.
"Jose is prepared to make tough decisions in difficult situations," Carlos Alberto told The Daily Star. "Players respect him because they know he only does what he thinks is best for the team. He doesn't think about himself and, if he has some hard choices to make, he'll make them."
"He showed that by picking me for the Champions League final. That was probably the hardest decision he had to make. It was difficult because there were far more experienced players in the squad.
"I don't think if it was another I would have been in the team, because I hadn't even played one full competitive match and I was the youngest in the side. He doesn't change his mind. No matter if he's criticised, he follows what he believes in."
England coach Fabio Capello believes Jose Mourinho is the right man to succeed Sir Alex Ferguson and will be a success at Manchester United.
Mourinho will return from holiday with his family in California at the end of June and will take charge at Old Trafford. He has loads of experience of managing at club level in Europe and has also guided FC Porto, Chelsea and Inter Milan to domestic title glories.
Capello has nothing but respect for Mourinho as a tactician and feels his appointment could be of benefit for both Manchester United and the English game. "I think with Jose returning to England its good for the Premier League, and he being the next United manager its good for Manchester United also," said Capello.
"I think he will do well. He's a very intelligent coach because he can change the style of a team." Capello added: "I know him well because when he was Internazionale manager we used to talk a lot about football. He is an important manager because he has been a winner, he has won with teams across Europe. He has a lots of Premier League experience."
Manchester United will be looking to win both their fourth consecutive Premier League and UEFA Champions League under Mourinho, while David Gill is also keen to see the team play entertaining football, which will be loved by the Old Trafford faithful.
However, Capello is unsure what to expect from Mourinho's Manchester United in terms of style. He said: "I don't know. I think every manager has to find the style for the club which is suitable for the players at the club."
Mouriho's United face Birmingham in opening fixture
New Manchester United coach Jose Mourinho starts with a home game as the Premier League champions entertain the newly promoted Birmingham City on 16th August.
Title rivals Arsenal also travel to Old Trafford in the opening month with a trip to Burnley and Wigan sandwiched in between on 19th and 22nd August completing the first four tests for the new Red Devils boss.
City rivals and huge spenders Manchester City travel to Old Trafford on 20th Setember with the return fixture at the City of Manchester Stadium on 17th April. Champions Manchester United travel to Anfield to face fierce rivals Liverpool on 25th Octobers with the return fixture at Old Trafford taking place on 20th March.
Manchester United then face fellow title contenders Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on 8th November and Arsenal at the Emirates on 31st January. The Red Devils invite Chelsea to Old Trafford on 3rd April, and face Tony Pulis' Stoke City at Old Trafford on the final day of the season.
August
16 Birmingham(H)
19 Burnley(A)
22 Wigan(A) 29 Arsenal(H)
September
12 Tottenham(A) 20 Man City(H)
26 Stoke(A)
October
3 Sunderland(H)
17 Bolton(H) 25 Liverpool(A)
31 Blackburn(H)
November 8 Chelsea(A)
21 Everton(H)
28 Portsmouth(A)
December
5 West Ham(A)
12 Aston Villa(H)
15 Wolves(H)
19 Fulham(A)
27 Hull(A)
30 Wigan(H)
January
9 Birmingham(A)
16 Burnley(H)
26 Hull(H) 31 Arsenal(A)
February
6 Portsmouth(H)
10 Aston Villa(A)
20 Everton(A)
27 West Ham(H)
March
6 Wolves(A)
13 Fulham(H) 20 Liverpool(H)
27 Bolton(A)
April 3 Chelsea(H)
10 Blackburn(A) 17 Man City(A)
24 Tottenham(H)
Jose Mourinho will be given heavyweight backing in the summer transfer market as Manchester United seek the audacious captures of Cesc Fabregas from Arsenal and Sergio Aguero from Atletico Madrid. The Portuguese, who has agreed to take up the managerial reins at Old Trafford, will also be in the market for, the midfielder David Silva and keeper Igor Akinfeev, and others under consideration include the Spain and Valencia striker David Villa.
Mourinho's primary task when he begins his four-year contract will be to keep Manchester United as the dominant force in the Premier League even after the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo, having won three consecutive titles in the past three seasons after his own back-to-back titles with Chelsea. Champions League success is the other priority and Mourinho will be encouraged to reach for the stars when it comes to shaping his squad.
Fabregas has been a target in recent times and United hope that the young playmaker will be sufficiently disappointed at Arsenal's failure to win a silverware for almost three seasons to consider his options. Arsenal would resist any attempt to take away the heartbeat of their team but United are nothing if not persistent. They lured Dimitar Berbatov from Tottenham after several failed attempts, despite the London club's insistence that they would not sell.
United will face similar intransigence from Atletico Madrid if they decide to follow up their tentative interest in Aguero. Although Atletico lag some way behind Barcelona and Real Madrid in terms of spending power, the thought of cashing in on Aguero, the striker who scored 23 goals for them last time out, in his third season, would cause uproar among their support. A more viable option for United is Valencia's forward Villa, whom the club has followed for a long time.
Mourinho, who has been to Old Trafford only to manage a side against Sir Alex Ferguson's United, is set to keep the same old backroom staff which was under Sir Alex Ferguson for years. United are expected to retain Mike Phelan, the assistant manager.
Window Shopping
Cesc Fabregas
Club - Arsenal
The Spaniard, 21, is an iconic figure and a true leader at the Emirates but Arsenal have failed to win a singal silverware in the last three season despite playing free flowing attractive football.
Potntial Fee - ?55m
Possibility - Very Slim
Sergio Aguero
Club - Atletico Madrid
Scored a total of 53 league goals during his three seasons in Madrid. Selling the 20-yearold Argentine wouldn't go down well with the supporters.
Potntial Fee - ?40m
Possibility - Slim
Franck Ribery
Club - Bayern Munich
Number one replacement for Cristiano Ronaldo and had a good Bundesliga campaign last season, but a huge fee may spark the sale of the Frenchman, 26.
Potntial Fee - ?45m
Possibility - Very Slim
David Silva
Club - Valencia
Has excelled for his club and Spain, but the no cash Valencia will let the 23-year-old midfielder to leave to pay out the huge debts.
Potntial Fee - ?30m
Possibility - Good
David Villa
Club - Valencia
The Spain international, 27, has been touted as a potential goalscoring replacement for Cristiano Ronaldo as the former as score heavily in the La Liga.
Potential Fee - ?40m
Possibility - Slim
Igor Akinfeev
Club - CSKA Moscow
With Edwin Van der Sar injured for 8 weeks and with age on his wrong side, Akinfeev could be the right man to be the number one keeper for the Red Devils.
Potential Fee - ?20m
Possibility - Very Good
Frank Lampard
Club - Chelsea
With Jose Mourinho coming to United, he might just be able to lure the Chelsea midfielder to Old Trafford but England international is not getting young any more and is in his thirtees.
Potential Fee - ?20m
Possibility - Very Slim
Arsenal have poured cold water on reports that Fabregas will be lured to Old Trafford by the new Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho.
"It's normal for a new coach to try to bring in new players," said Arsenal chairman Peter Hill-Wood. "But signing Fabregas is impossible, because he is here at Arsenal and will be here until the end of his career."
The appointment of the self proclaimed "the Special One" as Manchester United manager has increased speculation about an approach from Old Tarfford for the Gunners' skipper, but Arsenal insist that any attempt to prise their talismanic playmaker away from the the Emirates will prove fruitless.
Mourinho, the former Chelsea manager who guided the London club to to consecutive Premier League titles, is expected to be handed a substantial transfer kitty when he takes up the reins at United following his return from holiday. Fabregas heads a distinguished list of targets that also includes Valencia duo David Villa and David Silva and also Franc Ribery the Bayern Munich winger.
Fabregas signed a two-year extension to his Arsenal contract in January, tieing him to the club until 2014, but Arsenal's failure to win a single silverware for three seasons has generated fresh speculation about his future, prompting a curt rebuttal from the Emirates.
Somy crazy targets there, and apart from maybe Akinfeev, am pretty sure are players Fergie would not be able to sign. But then Mourinho isn't like that and will go for the best.
Rio Ferdinand has been named as the new captain of Manchester United. The 31-year-old was confirmed as Gary Neville's successor on Thursday, with Ryan Giggs made vice-captain by new Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho.
Ferdinand begins his reign as captain in Mourinho's first competitive match in charge, the FA Community Shield final against FA Cup winners Chelsea at the Wembley on 8th August.
Mourinho told the Manchester United's official website: "I'm convinced he will prove to be one of the best captains United has ever had." Mourinho said that the respect that England defender Ferdinand commanded among his fellow professionals was behind his decision.
"Rio has all the attributes a club captain needs - leadership, authority, courage, ability, tactical awareness and a total refusal to accept second-best," he said. "He has been an inspiration for the club and is at his best in adversity."
Ferdinand said he was delighted with the appointment. "It is an honour to be the captain of your club and I am very proud to be given this great opportunity," he said. "It is an incredible challenge and one I am looking forward to very much."
Ryan Giggs offered his congratulations to his fellow team mate. "I would like to congratulate Rio on being appointed United captain. I'm sure he'll do a great job," he said.
"He's a tremendous leader on the pitch and has all the qualities required to do the role. I'm also pleased to have been appointed vice-captain by Jose Mourinho today. There are a number of leaders in the squad and I know we will all be giving 100% support to Jose and Rio."
Ferdinand has appeared 213 times for the Red Devils since making his record fee transfer from Leeds United in the summer of 2002. Central defender Ferdinand was the fans favourite to be the next United captain, although many tipped Giggs to take the role.
Arsenal chairman Peter Hill-Wood has confirmed that the club have rejected a massive offer from Manchester United for playmaker Cesc Fabregas.
Reports over the past few weeks have suggested Fabregas could be on his way to Old Trafford in a world record deal after Manchetser United made a move for the Spanish playmaker.
Cesc Fabregas' representative fuelled rumours of a move to Manchester by claiming that the player would be interested in a switch to Manchester United. However, Arsenal moved quickly to dispel the rumours by saying Fabregas was not for sale and Hill-Wood says Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger rejected the mega bid from Manchester United.
"It's true that Manchester United made a conspicuous offer, but I will not say how much it was," Hill-Wood told the Sun. "It is equally true that we said no. Manager Arsene Wenger rejected the chance to sell Fabregas, just as he told Barcelona no in 2004 for Theirry Henry."
Hill-Wood insists Fabregas and Juventus target Robin van Persie will be staying with the Gunners for the new season. "Fabregas is going nowhere and neither is Robin van Persie," added Hill-Wood. "The fans can sleep easy."
Fabregas, however, admits he is unsure of his future claiming two clubs are chasing his services with Barcelona thought to be rivalling Manchester United for the Spaniard's signature.
"When I return to England I will know what's going to happen, but at the moment nothing is certain," said Fabregas. "There are two teams who are very interested in signing me, but now I do not want to talk about it. Until we return to Arsenal and know how things are, we cannot decide what happens with my future."
Barcelona have signed 22-year-old Manchester United and Portugal winger Nani for a fee of ?12m that could rise to ?12.5m.
After putting pen to paper on a four-year contract the Portugal international described the move as "a dream. I love this team, I will give my best and I want to win everything with Barca."
Since joining Manchester United from Sporting Lisbon in 2007 the winger made just 39 league appearances for the Red Devils, scoring four times, but he never settled in Manchester and wasn't a regular first team player.
Nani recently said he was not happy in England and said he "could not get used to the chaotic way of life in Manchester. It is uncomfortable and I am mentally tired."
Nani will be up against his Portuguese team mate Cristiano Ronaldo - who signed for Real Madrid - and becomes Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola's fourth signing of the summer after Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Maxwell, and Dmytro Chygrynskyi.
Meanwhile, Inter Milan striker Mario Balotelli has dismissed reports that he will be moving to Manchetser United. The 18-year-old said: "I always said I wanted to play in the top flight for a long time. I want to stay at Inter, my home. I feel very comfortable here."
Valencia snub ?25m David Silva bid 12th July, 2009
David Silva ?35m price tag
An unnamed English club have failed with a ?25million bid for Valencia playmaker and winger David Silva, according to the player's agent.
David Silva is expected to leave Valencia this summer after an impressive showing for Spain at the Confederations Cup in South Africa and also due to some heavy debts at Valencia.
It has been claimed that Primera Division giants Barcelona recently had a ?20million offer rejected, with further reports suggesting the Spanish giants would only consider selling for twice that amount.
Premier League sides Arsenal and Manchester United have also been linked with David Silva; however an official approach from either side has yet to be confirmed. Silva's agent, though, has claimed that an English side have failed with a ?25million bid.
"Barcelona failed with a ?20million bid for David and now an English club have had a ?25million offer rejected by Valencia," agent Jose Segui told the Daily Express. "Valencia want ?35million, so clubs who want to sign David will have to get closer to that figure.
"I believe they will because there are clubs interested in David who are trying to sell players first. The figure is not easy to reach, but the transfer activity is beginning to happen and I am optimistic he will join a big club. I don't know exactly when David's future will be resolved, but we have until the end of August, so we are both fairly relaxed."
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