Jose Mourinho almost became Borussia Dortmund coach. That’s what the Portuguese is said to have told us on Friday.

Shortly before the start of the 2024 European Football Championship, Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund have made what is probably their most important personnel decision.

After parting ways with Edin Terzic, Nuri Sahin will become the new coach of the Champions League finalists.

He has the responsible task of driving forward the reorganization of the eight-time German champions. With this decision, the club has nipped any possible speculation about Terzic’s successor in the bud, as rumors quickly arise around BVB. And then big names quickly circulate.

Such as in 2019, when Lucien Favre was still Borussia Dortmund’s coach, but the club was allegedly already looking at José Mourinho as a possible successor to the Swiss

When I was about to join Borussia Dortmund a few years ago, I learned German. It wasn’t easy, but I gave it a go

Jose Mourinho

Now the Portuguese explained that a move to the Ruhr region had also been on the cards for him at one point, and that he had even prepared himself properly for it. According to Sport Bild, he said this at a European Championship event shortly before the opening game in Munich.

The 61-year-old is reported to have said: “When I was about to join Borussia Dortmund a few years ago, I learned German. It wasn’t easy, but I gave it a go.” According to Sport Bild, Mourinho did not confirm that this preparation took place during the period in which rumors about him arose

With this information, Mourinho is likely to have confirmed the truth of the speculation at the time. Borussia Dortmund’s sporting director at the time, Michael Zorc, had always denied the rumors. BVB managing director Hans-Joachim Watzke, on the other hand, had openly stated that he was friends with the headstrong coach. The Portuguese did not seem to be averse to the idea anyway and had expressed his admiration for Borussia.

“The Special One”, as the press have been calling Mourinho since an extremely self-confident appearance at a press conference in 2004, recently signed a contract with Turkish first division club Fenerbahce Istanbul.