Is Tottenham Jose Mourinho's Next Destination?

Paul Wilson in The Observer today writes an absorbing article about how England means the best of Europe, and how the domination of the Premiership clubs could accelerate the formation of a European Super League (albeit without the English teams). It’s a must-read article.

Wilson concludes with an interesting question and that’s whether Jose Mourinho will decide to stay in England to manage instead of going to Spain, especially with the “fall” of La Liga in terms of no Spanish sides being in the semi-final stages of the Champions League.

If Mourinho is sacked by Chelsea, which clubs in the Premiership would have the money and ambition to hire him? I believe there’s only other club in England Jose would consider and that’s Tottenham Hotspur.

With a passionate fan base similar to Chelsea (even more passionate than the Blues fans, in fact) and a foundation of a winning team, Spurs could be a likely new home for Mourinho. Based in London, Mourinho wouldn’t have to worry about moving his kids to a new school or unsettling his family. And more importantly, there’s an opportunity at White Hart Lane for Mourinho to do what he did at Chelsea: To take a club who has won several trophies in the past and turn them into a championship winning side.

What’s vital for Spurs is that they qualify for the UEFA Cup and, even better, the Champions League. Catching up with Arsenal will be extremely difficult, but Spurs can definitely close the gap when they play this Saturday (April 21, 7:45am ET, Setanta).

Martin Jol has done a decent job, but his side has been too inconsistent for the amount of money they’ve spent on transfers. Spurs’s match against Sevilla last Thursday sums up their inconsistent season.

Of course, the rivalry between Spurs and Chelsea fans is pretty huge. However if Mourinho gets kicked out into the street by the Chelsea board, Jose should have no qualms about making the trip from the west end of London to north London.

The only two other likely candidates in the Premiership for Mourinho other than Spurs are Newcastle and Manchester City. However, both clubs have no chance of qualifying for Europe next season, so I believe they’re both ruled out.

Overall, I believe Real Madrid would be the logical choice for Mourinho if and when he’s sacked by Chelsea. However, Real Madrid never seem to make easy decisions and there’s a lot of politics involved. If Real Madrid fail to get Mourinho, then Barcelona could be his destination if Rijkaard fails to lift the La Liga trophy. And there’s always Italy, but Italian soccer has had one of their worst seasons in recent history this year.

Jose, do you know your way to White Hart Lane?

If you’re a Spurs fan, listen to the interview with Tottenham legend Alan Mullery on the EPL Talk Podcast.