Mourinho: I turned down PSG job twice

Jose Mourinho has twice rejected an offer to become coach of Paris Saint-Germain but has not ruled out moving to the French capital once his time with Chelsea ends.

The Portuguese manager warned opposition coaches that he expects to be working for another 14-15 years, explaining: “I am only at half-time in my career.” He also continued his feud with Arsene Wenger by claiming the Arsenal boss shoving him in the chest last week was “inexplicable”.

Chelsea beat PSG in the Champions League quarter-final last season, and the French champions have long been trying to coax Eden Hazard from Stamford Bridge. But Hazard is not the only Chelsea asset that PSG owners QSI covet: Mourinho said that he was offered the job in summer 2011, and again in 2013, before he returned Chelsea.

“I know all about the PSG project and I knew about it before it started,” Mourinho told French TV show Telefoot. “I was the first option to join Leonardo [appointed sports director in July 2011], even before Carlo Ancelotti. The job was proposed then. And again, before Blanc [appointed in 2013]. I thought a lot about it, but the first time, the alternative was Real Madrid, the second time it was Chelsea for a comeback.”

When asked if he would accept the PSG job if it was offered for a third time, Mourinho did not rule it out: “I am at the club where I want to be. Some day, Mister Abramovich will say, ‘José, it’s over’. I assume that day will come. When it does, I will see what’s going on in the world and respect the decision of every club.”

Mourinho insists he isn’t retiring anytime soon and that he has no long-term career plan, now he has fulfilled all his ambitions. “I’m only at the half-time of my career,” he added. “I think I will keep coaching for 14 or 15 years. Easy, no problem. I love this job and I am feeling strong, physically and mentally.

“I left Portugal in 2004 and never worked there again. The country is waiting for it [his return]. When I’m back there, it will be to help the country. But I am professional and I can’t predict my future. No project gives me more passion and motivation than Chelsea today. I want to stay many years.

“In the past, I more or less had a career plan in mind. After Porto, I wanted to go abroad and Chelsea was there. After Chelsea, I wanted to go to Spain or Italy: it was Italy with Inter. Then, it was Spain with Real Madrid. Today, I don’t have any career project related to county, club or money. It is all about being happy, working with happiness. I have no project after that, I just have the motivation to win if possible.”

Mourinho also addressed his row with Arsene Wenger, which spilled over in last week’s Chelsea win over Arsenal. With the score goalless, Wenger appeared to walk into Mourinho’s technical area and shoved him. The Chelsea boss still doesn’t understand what happened.

“I can’t explain. A picture is bigger than five words and I can’t use words to explain this scene everybody could see.”

Telefoot, who used Wenger as a pundit for many years, put the question to Wenger and he apologised g for the incident — though significantly, it was not directed at Mourinho. “In hindsight I think I should not have reacted, it’s not a way to behave on a football field,” Wenger said. “I always regret any signs of violence and I apologise, but that’s a part of games where everything is manic.”