Under siege Mourinho feeling isolated from home comforts

London (AFP) – Jose Mourinho’s woes aren’t just on the pitch, the Manchester United manager is unhappy about his living arrangements and being separated from his family.

The 53-year-old — who is in need of a good result later Wednesday in the EFL Cup clash with city rivals Manchester City after the 4-0 hammering by Chelsea on Sunday — has yet to find a flat and is living on his own in a luxury hotel.

However, that presents its own problems for the Portuguese manager as he says he is under siege from the paparazzi.

“You know the history of the paparazzi, for the hotel and the brand that sponsors me, the clothes brand, (it) is amazing because they are there every day,” Mourinho told Sky Sports.

“For me it is a disaster because I want sometimes to walk a little bit and I can’t.

“I just want to cross the bridge and go to a restaurant.

“I can’t so it is really bad.

“But I have my apps and I can ask for food to also be delivered.”

Mourinho, whose off the pitch troubles increased with the loss of Ivory Coast central defender Eric Bailly for two months with a knee ligament injury suffered in the Chelsea match, admits the problem of being separated from his family — they have stayed in London — is less easy to remedy.

“The reality is that my daughter (Matilde) will be 20 next week, my son (Jose Jnr) will be 17 in a couple of months,” he said.

“They are very stable. University in London. Football in London. Friends.

“So they are in an age where they can’t chase me like they did before. So for the first time the family lives in a different way.

“We try to see the evolution of our feelings and see how we cope with the situation.”

Mourinho, whose odds of not being United manager by season’s end were cut to 11/4 following the Chelsea thrashing, said finding a flat could ease the familial situation as there would be somewhere for them to stay.

However, the restaurants benefiting from his use of their apps need not be worried as Mourinho admitted to a rare failing. 

“If I find a nice apartment with a good connection from the garage to the apartment maybe I do it, but I can’t cook.”.