The Portuguese is a proven winner but his reputation has been severely damaged by the events that led to his sacking at Chelsea - is he now too big a risk for Europe's elite?
COMMENT
Jose Mourinho had few worries about his employment prospects during the tail end of his first spell in Chelsea.
"If the club decide to sack me because of bad results, that's part of the game," he reasoned. "If it happens, I will be a millionaire and get another club a couple of months later."
Things are different now, though. Having been sacked for the second time by the Blues, Mourinho faces an unusually uncertain future. Other clubs will doubtless come calling - but the stark reality that the Portuguese must quickly face up to is that few, if any, will be members of Europe's elite.
Ever since he led Porto to Champions League glory in 2004, Mourinho has had his pick of the game's greatest clubs. He could essentially choose his own career path, and with each title won, he only gained greater control of his own destiny. Or, at least, that's how it seemed.
It must be acknowledged that Mourinho picked up more fines than he did trophies during his first spell at Chelsea, and subsequent stints at Inter and Real Madrid. Consequently, while he fully expected to be offered the Manchester United job when Sir Alex Ferguson announced his intention to retire at the end of the 2012-13 season, Mourinho's questionable character ultimately went against him and the Red Devils instead turned to David Moyes.
The former Everton boss proved a disastrous choice but nothing has happened in the interim to suggest that United regret overlooking Mourinho, who deliberately, cynically and shamelessly courts controversy in the media to distract attention away from failings elsewhere.
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