Portuguese Football Association denies Mourinho taking over the national team: There is no plan to change coaches at present

After the Turkish media revealed that Mourinho would leave Fenerbach and take over the Portuguese national team, the Portuguese Football Association denied it.

Mr. Mourinho's coaching experience was not calm during his year in Turkey. He has criticized Türkiye's referee level many times, and even after losing to Galatasaray in the National Cup, he was suspended for three games for pinching the nose of the opponent's coach Okan Brooke.

According to Turkish media "Haberturk", Mourinho's journey in Türkiye may only last for one season. Portuguese sports reporter Emmet Selim Cour also revealed that Mourinho has reached an agreement with the Portuguese Football Association and will officially serve as the head coach of the Portuguese national team after the 2026 US-Canada-Mexico World Cup.

This time point also coincides with the expiration date of his two-year contract with Fenerbahce, which means Mourinho will usher in a new chapter in his career - coaching a national team for the first time.

What is more interesting is that the Portuguese Football Association is also considering whether to appoint Mourinho in advance to replace the current coach Roberto Martinez. It is reported that the Portuguese team plans to evaluate the performance of the national team after the UEFA European League finals next month and may make a decision to change coaches.

Currently, the Portuguese national team is coached by Spanish coach Martinez. Since taking office in January 2023, he has led the team to win 20 games in 28 games and reached the semi-finals in the 2024 European Cup, and was eliminated from France in the final penalty shootout.

However, according to an earlier report by Portugal CNN, even if Martinez leads the team to win the UEFA Champions League, he may face the risk of being dismissed.

If Mourinho successfully takes over Portugal, he will become the third Champions League champion coach to lead the national team to the World Cup after Ancelotti and Tuchel.

Ancelotti will officially take over as head coach of the Brazilian team on May 26, starting a new challenge after ending his contract with Real Madrid; while Tuchel will serve as head coach of the England national team this year.

However, the Portuguese Football Association has clarified this rumor, saying that there is currently no plan to change the coach.