Jose Mourinho not interested in managing an international side - for now

Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho (GETTY IMAGES)

Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho admits his love of club football means he is unlikely to take charge of a national team any time soon.

The Portuguese has been linked with several jobs at international level during his illustrious career, most recently England after Fabio Capello stepped aside.

Mourinho has also hinted in the past that he would be willing to take on the challenge of managing his own country later in life.

However, in an interview with AS today the former Chelsea boss admitted he has no immediate plans to accept such a role.

"We'll see although it will be later rather than sooner, much later," he said.

"I am 49 and will be 50 when this season finishes, but I still think I'm at the beginning of my career.

"A few years ago my wife said that some day I would stop, we would enjoy our children, our hobbies. But right now I'm a full-time coach.

"Even now, after all my experiences, I still feel the same excitement, the same joy I felt on the first day I won and I feel the same anger, the same disappointment on the first day I lost.

"It's only when I look at pictures of my early career in Porto that I realise this child has become a man who is the Real Madrid coach. But only in photos, inside I feel like I did 20 years ago.

"So I say that for now, and for a long time to come, I'm not going to train a national team. That is not for me yet.

"I have to train 400 times a year and manage 60 or 70 games. I need to be with players, on the pitch and the dressing room every day. I like to train every day and see my players three times a week."

PA