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Portugal approach Jose Mourinho and there's one possible twist to him taking the job

Portugal approach Jose Mourinho and there's one possible twist to him taking the job

Fernando Santos' future as Portugal boss is expected to come to an end after their World Cup quarter-final elimination by Morocco.

Portugal could make Jose Mourinho their next manager, following the World Cup, and the move might even leave Football Manager fans excited by one twist.

Morocco became the first African team to make the semi-finals in World Cup history when they knocked Portugal out on Saturday afternoon.

Cristiano Ronaldo and some of his teammates were very emotional after the game, with the forward crying in the tunnel and others hitting out at the referee.

It extended the top international men's goalscorer of all time's record of never scoring in a knockout game in the World Cup, one he's unlikely to end as he'll be 41-years-old by the next tournament.

The former Manchester United star was at the centre of headlines during the tournament, as he usually is, after manager Fernando Santos decided to bench him in the last 16 game against Switzerland.

It certainly worked for the manager who led the team to glory at Euro 2016, with replacement Goncalo Ramos scoring a hat-trick in the 6-1 win.

However, he was criticised for following the same tactic in the loss to Morocco, mainly by those who blindly follow the five time Ballon d'Or winner.

And with the elimination comes the inevitable possibility that Santos could leave the national team, even with his contract not due to expire until 2024.

According to Italian outlet Corriere dello Sport, Mourinho has already held conversations with the Portuguese FA, and he could possibly do the role part-time, alongside continuing his duties as Roma boss.

Mourinho is currently in charge at Roma. Image: Alamy
Mourinho is currently in charge at Roma. Image: Alamy

Doing two jobs isn't something that's happened too often in football management, with Kevin Keegan being in charge of England and Fulham at the same time one of the rare occasions.

Keegan had initially only taken over the national team on a temporary basis at the start of 1999, following Glenn Hoddle's departure, whilst remaining in charge of then Championship side Fulham.

However, at the end of the 1998/99 season he decided to leave Craven Cottage in order to continue being the England boss, leaving just over a year later when they lost the final game at Wembley to Germany.

Fans of the video game Football Manager will certainly be excited to see if Mourinho can do both the national team job and continue to be in charge of Roma, as job sharing is quite popular on the game.

The Giallorossi won the Europa Conference League under the former Chelsea boss last season, making him the first manager to win the new competition, Champions League and Europa League.

Mourinho with his most recent trophy. Image: Alamy
Mourinho with his most recent trophy. Image: Alamy

Mourinho has previously been linked with the England job in the past but, even if Gareth Southgate leaves the role after the loss to France, that's unlikely to be the case this time around.

England did admit that they took inspiration from the 59-year-old in the build up to their quarter-final elimination, when it came to their plans.

Assistant manager Steve Holland said that their attempts to stop Kylian Mbappe had been inspired by a conversation with Mourinho.

Featured Image Credit: Alamy

Topics: Portugal, Football World Cup, Jose Mourinho, Serie A, AS Roma, Roma