Celtic fans will be hoping that Jose Mourinho wins both his games against the Rangers leading up to the Glasgow Derby at Parkhead. The Europa League is the Ibrox club's last hope this season. And it is safe to say that Barry Ferguson has a mountain to climb, up against one of the most celebrated and successful managers in the history of the game.
Mourinho has managed the biggest clubs in world football and won two Champions League titles, the Premier League, La Liga, Italian Serie A and more. Of course, Celtic fans will know very well about what his teams are capable.
It was against Mourinho's FC Porto that Celtic lost that famous UEFA Cup final. A year later, he would go on to win the Champions League with the Portuguese side, the last time an underdog of that magnitude won Europe's top competition.
Now in the twilight of his career, Mourinho has moved away from the spotlight a bit. His last three jobs have been at Tottenham Hotspur, AS Roma and Fenerbahce. And as reported by The Guardian, when asked whether coaching in Glasgow appealed to him, he said:
"In this moment, no, because I have a job that motivates me and a job that demands loyalty. But why not in the future? People can say that the Scottish League is a league of two teams, but it’s a league of passion.
“For me, passion in football is everything. For me, to play in empty stadiums, to play in competitions where there is not that fire of the passion doesn’t make any sense. Celtic and Rangers, they are big clubs with big fanbases, with big emotions, big responsibilities, big expectations. Why not?
"Celtic has a fantastic coach like Brendan [Rodgers]. Rangers has Ferguson now, so full respect for them and I’m not searching for a new job."
Celtic fans' immediate reaction to Jose Mourinho's comments
Of course, Mourinho did not rule out either club. But Celtic fans seem to be pretty sure who he would rather manage if it came down to it.
Notice how he puts Celtic first even though the interviewer said Rangers first. He knows who are the main club in Scotland are. Everybody knows.
— Zuco (@Zucofry) March 5, 2025
Definitely sounds interested in becoming Celtic manager in the future. Rangers seemed mentioned as an afterthought & just to be polite.
— Good Guy Barry (@Goodguybarry) March 5, 2025
It would be quite something to see Mourinho managing Celtic at some point in the future. He might not be amongst the top managers in world football anymore, but he still knows what it takes to win.
Mourinho took AS Roma to European finals in back-to-back seasons. Right now, he has Fenerbahce within touching distance of the top spot in the Turkish league. And it is also worth pointing out that the team have not lost since December. It has been 18 games since they last tasted defeat. On the other hand, the Rangers have lost three times on the trot at Ibrox.