Jose Mourinho is the only coach capable of repairing the rift inside the Portugal squad, created by Fernando Santos’ high-profile falling out with Cristiano Ronaldo.
Now more than ever, Portugal needs its most infamous coach and his extraordinary ability to handle the media.
It has long been an aim of Mourinho’s to manage a national team, and now at the age of 59 the time is right for him to take over his own, however onerous the task at hand may seem.
Jose Mourinho is the perfect man to repair the fractured Portugal national team
Ronaldo was dropped for a knockout game at a major tournament for the first time since 2008
The Roma boss has never forgotten his Portuguese roots, setting numerous alarms to watch his country in action while away in Japan with his side.
And it is perhaps noteworthy that many of the leaders within the Portugal squad were quick to confide in Mourinho, sharing with him the more intimate details as the dressing-room began to fracture amid Santos’ row with Ronaldo. In this way. the Special One could be the answer to the team’s desperate communication issues.
No other manager can boast the in-depth, almost encyclopaedic knowledge of Portuguese football that Mourinho has, which makes him perfectly places to bring in and blood new talent in the national set up.
The Portuguese Football Federation is painfully aware of the bitter disappointment within the side after their shock quarter-final defeat, but the appointment of Mourinho could be the kickstart needed to usher in a new era of success.
Fernando Santos’ decaying relationship with Cristiano Ronaldo is causing a rift within the team
Mourinho fits the bill but the fallout could be catastrophic
One of Mourinho’s key strengths lies in creating a tight-knit and compact squad, but where he falls down is in his erratic relationships with his players and the media when things fail to go to plan.
Roma fans have begun to get to know him and are beginning to understand that his great strength – his personality – can often be his fatal flaw.
The case of Rick Karsdorp perfectly demonstrates how his over-zealous criticism can cause often irreparable tensions.
Mourinho’s relationship with Rick Karsdorp highlights how he can often go too far in his criticism
Tammy Abraham’s slump is still unresolved and perhaps the 59-year-old’s lack of confidence in his No 9 is a heavy contributor to the former Chelsea striker’s loss of form.
In the Portugal hot seat…