{"id":2896,"date":"2026-05-01T18:14:36","date_gmt":"2026-05-01T18:14:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/?p=2896"},"modified":"2026-05-01T18:14:36","modified_gmt":"2026-05-01T18:14:36","slug":"gary-lineker-opens-up-on-jose-mourinho-snub-after-six-months-of-silence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/?p=2896","title":{"rendered":"Gary Lineker opens up on Jose Mourinho snub after \u2018six months of silence\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"article-body\">\n<h2 class=\"LeadText_lead-text__wd_PA __className_5f510e\" data-testid=\"leadtext\">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<\/h2>\n<p><button type=\"button\" class=\"SlideViewerButton_slide-viewer-button__BDJoG\" aria-label=\"Open image viewer\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-controls=\"image-lightbox\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-embed__0T8WX ImageEmbed_image-lead__Ti3qQ\" data-testid=\"leadimage\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-articleid=\"37097822\">\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-container__2AIQm\">\n<figure class=\"Figure_figure__Uce4f\" style=\"--figure-aspect-ratio:1.5\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Gary Lineker\" loading=\"eager\" sizes=\"(max-width: 508px) 508px, (max-width: 615px) 615px, 1200px\" src=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37097822.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200f\/0_GettyImages-2231445801.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37097822.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s508\/0_GettyImages-2231445801.jpg 508w, https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37097822.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s615\/0_GettyImages-2231445801.jpg 615w, https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37097822.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200f\/0_GettyImages-2231445801.jpg 1200w\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"ImageCaption_caption__j7HRu\" data-testid=\"image-caption\">\n<p aria-label=\"Lineker has opened up on his relationship with Jose Mourinho\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-title__ccyQU\" data-testid=\"caption-title\">Lineker has opened up on his relationship with Jose Mourinho<cite aria-label=\"Image: Getty Images\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-credit__wlx1W\" data-testid=\"caption-credit\">(Image: Getty Images)<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<p><\/button><\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Gary Lineker admits he\u2019s still baffled about his rollercoaster relationship with Jose Mourinho over a decade after a high-profile snub.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">The former Match of the Day host has previously opened up on his relationship with \u2018The Special One\u2019 and said they aren\u2019t as close as they once were.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">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\u2019t received the answers that he wants.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Speaking at Netflix&#8217;s Sports Club, Lineker said: &#8220;He\u2019s up and down, I know that from my experience. Jose is fascinating, he used to text me all the time, &#8216;I love what you say on Match of the Day,&#8217; I had this relationship with him.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">&#8220;Then it stopped. It stopped. That was it. To this day I don\u2019t know what I said to upset him.<\/p>\n<p><span data-testid=\"readmore\" class=\"ReadMore_readmore-prefix__xS44r __className_0548ba\">READ MORE<!-- -->: <span class=\"ReadMore_readmore-link__eF9pN\">Premier League panel admit Gabriel SHOULD have been off for Erling Haaland headbutt<\/span><\/span><span data-testid=\"readmore\" class=\"ReadMore_readmore-prefix__xS44r __className_0548ba\">READ MORE<!-- -->: <span class=\"ReadMore_readmore-link__eF9pN\">Football blackout loophole to be used this weekend with Sky Sports showing Saturday 3pm kick-offs<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\"><strong class=\"Strong_strong__e2x35\"><strong class=\"Strong_strong__e2x35\">JOIN US ON FACEBOOK!<\/strong> <strong class=\"Strong_strong__e2x35\"\/><strong class=\"Strong_strong__e2x35\"><u>Latest news, analysis and much more on Mirror Football&#8217;s Facebook page<\/u><\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">&#8220;GQ asked me to present him with the Sportsperson of the Year award (Editor&#8217;s Special Award) when he was at Chelsea. I said, &#8216;Of course I will&#8217; &#8211; this was after about six months of the silence.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">&#8220;The day before I got a phone call saying, &#8216;Jose actually would prefer it if it\u2019s a non-football person that presents it,&#8217; I said, &#8216;I\u2019m still coming.&#8217;<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">&#8216;So I went up to him and I asked him, I said, &#8216;Have we got a problem.&#8217; He said, &#8216;No,&#8217; I said, &#8216;You sure?&#8217;, he went, &#8216;No.&#8217; To this day I still don\u2019t know. Maybe it was a bad joke or something.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">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.<\/p>\n<div data-testid=\"image-group\"><button type=\"button\" class=\"SlideViewerButton_slide-viewer-button__BDJoG\" aria-label=\"Open image viewer\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-controls=\"image-lightbox\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-embed__0T8WX false\" data-testid=\"imageembed-37097824\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-articleid=\"37097824\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"image\">\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-container__2AIQm\">\n<figure class=\"Figure_figure__Uce4f\" style=\"--figure-aspect-ratio:1.27\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Jose Mourinho\" loading=\"lazy\" sizes=\"(max-width: 458px) 458px, (max-width: 615px) 615px, 1200px\" src=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37097824.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200e\/0_GettyImages-2272507841-1.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37097824.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s458b\/0_GettyImages-2272507841-1.jpg 458w, https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37097824.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s615b\/0_GettyImages-2272507841-1.jpg 615w, https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37097824.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200e\/0_GettyImages-2272507841-1.jpg 1200w\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"ImageCaption_caption__j7HRu\" data-testid=\"image-caption\">\n<p aria-label=\"Mourinho has recently been linked with a return to Real Madrid\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-title__ccyQU\" data-testid=\"caption-title\">Mourinho has recently been linked with a return to Real Madrid<cite aria-label=\"Image: Getty Images\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-credit__wlx1W\" data-testid=\"caption-credit\">(Image: Getty Images)<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<p><\/button><\/div>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">And Lineker believes a move back to the Bernabeu could happen. He added: &#8220;I think there\u2019s every chance he might end up being the next Real Madrid manager. I think there\u2019s a really good chance, I know the president really loves him.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Mourinho has been with Benfica since September last year. He remains under contract until 2027.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Speaking about the rumours linking him with Real Madrid last week, he said: \u201cEveryone knows the situation. When the season ends, we&#8217;ll have 10 days to decide whether to continue or part ways.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">\u201cI&#8217;ve said what I had to say. I&#8217;ve already said enough &#8212; perhaps more than enough &#8212; so there&#8217;s no need to say any more. What I&#8217;ve said, I&#8217;ve said. And I don&#8217;t need to repeat it. That&#8217;s all.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\"><em><strong class=\"Strong_strong__e2x35\">Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don&#8217;t like our community, you can check out any time you like. 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