Sack verdict, behind-the-scenes issues - Jose Mourinho true feelings clear before Man Utd reunion

Manchester United will go up against a familiar acquaintance in the Europa League on Thursday night as Jose Mourinho's Fenerbahce are the hosts for Erik ten Hag's team.

In his pre-match press conference, the Portuguese head coach spoke fondly of his time at Old Trafford, even joking that a Premier League winner's medal could be in the post for him. Retrospectively, Mourinho is painted to be one of the better managers of the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era, particularly considering his team finished second in the Premier League and won the Europa League among other accolades during his tenure.

This warmth towards the Reds is not a new phenomenon for Mourinho. Even during the immediate aftermath of his departure, he spoke kindly of his former employer even if he did offer a critical oversight of what needed to change.

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Indeed, in his first interview post-United in January 2019, Mourinho offered up what he confessed to be a 'crazy' theory about his spell at Old Trafford.

"People might say: ‘This guy is crazy, he won 25 titles and now he says that second position with United was one of his best achievements in football," Mourinho admitted on beIN Sports. "I keep saying this because people don’t know what is going on behind the scenes."

Mourinho went on to explain that there was no structure above his head to help him achieve success. Ironically this is a problem that has only now been properly resolved by Sir Jim Ratcliffe following his appointments of Dan Ashworth, Omar Berrada and Jason Wilcox.

In December 2020, having now taken on the job at Tottenham Hotspur, Mourinho was regretful about how