Gary Lineker opens up on Jose Mourinho snub after ‘six months of silence’
Former Man United and Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho has been linked with a sensational return which has triggered Gary Lineker to discuss his relationship with the Portuguese coach
Lineker has opened up on his relationship with Jose Mourinho(Image: Getty Images)
Gary Lineker admits he’s still baffled about his rollercoaster relationship with Jose Mourinho over a decade after a high-profile snub.
The former Match of the Day host has previously opened up on his relationship with ‘The Special One’ and said they aren’t as close as they once were.
Lineker considers a 2015 incident where Mourinho requested someone else to present an award to him as a turning point. And 11 years down the line, the former admits that he still hasn’t received the answers that he wants.
Speaking at Netflix’s Sports Club, Lineker said: “He’s up and down, I know that from my experience. Jose is fascinating, he used to text me all the time, ‘I love what you say on Match of the Day,’ I had this relationship with him.
“Then it stopped. It stopped. That was it. To this day I don’t know what I said to upset him.
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“GQ asked me to present him with the Sportsperson of the Year award (Editor’s Special Award) when he was at Chelsea. I said, ‘Of course I will’ – this was after about six months of the silence.
“The day before I got a phone call saying, ‘Jose actually would prefer it if it’s a non-football person that presents it,’ I said, ‘I’m still coming.’
‘So I went up to him and I asked him, I said, ‘Have we got a problem.’ He said, ‘No,’ I said, ‘You sure?’, he went, ‘No.’ To this day I still don’t know. Maybe it was a bad joke or something.”
Mourinho has of course been in the headlines over recent days, having been linked with a move back to former club Real Madrid. It has been reported that president Florentino Perez sees the current Benfica boss as an ideal candidate to replace Alvaro Arbeloa.
And Lineker believes a move back to the Bernabeu could happen. He added: “I think there’s every chance he might end up being the next Real Madrid manager. I think there’s a really good chance, I know the president really loves him.
Mourinho has been with Benfica since September last year. He remains under contract until 2027.
Speaking about the rumours linking him with Real Madrid last week, he said: “Everyone knows the situation. When the season ends, we’ll have 10 days to decide whether to continue or part ways.
“I’ve said what I had to say. I’ve already said enough — perhaps more than enough — so there’s no need to say any more. What I’ve said, I’ve said. And I don’t need to repeat it. That’s all.”
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