Mourinho set to fulfil Man Utd dream

AFP, MANCHESTER: Jose Mourinho was on the verge of fulfilling his dream of managing Manchester United on Tuesday after Louis van Gaal's troubled two-year reign came to a bitter end.
The path was clear for the former Chelsea manager to be confirmed as the new United boss after Van Gaal was sacked Monday -- the price of failing to get one of the world's biggest clubs into the Champions League.
Mourinho's agent Jorge Mendes was reported by British media to be in negotiations to tie up a deal.
It sets the stage for one of the sport's most intriguing characters to at last manage the Red Devils after a glittering career that so far features 21 major trophies, including three English Premier League crowns and two Champions League titles.
Mourinho was sacked by Chelsea in December after a miserable campaign marred by rifts with the club's star players that eventually became intolerable to owner Roman Abramovich as the team, champions just months earlier, languished near the relegation zone.
Now the colourful and controversial 53-year-old will hope to restore his reputation by bringing back the sparkle to United.
A casually-dressed Mourinho declined to answer reporters' questions as he left his London home and got into a car on Tuesday morning.
The BBC said the Portuguese manager's appointment was unlikely to be finalised Tuesday but was expected to be completed within the week.
For his part, Van Gaal said he was "very disappointed" to be sacked just 48 hours after leading United to victory in the FA Cup final against Crystal Palace on Saturday.
But United had finished fifth in the Premier League and thereby missed out on a lucrative Champions League place, which proved the final straw for the club's US-based owners.
The Glazer family didn't let United's first piece of silverware since the 2013 retirement of legendary boss Alex Ferguson stop them from wielding the axe on 64-year-old Van Gaal.
The Dutchman cleared out his office at United's Carrington training ground on Monday after talks over a settlement for the final year of his three-year contract -- worth a reported £6.4 million ($9.2 million, 8.2 million euros) per year.
The Daily Mirror newspaper reported that Mourinho called Van Gaal in the last few weeks to warn him that United had sounded him out about the Old Trafford job.
Mourinho worked under Van Gaal at Barcelona in the late 1990s and made the call to preserve their long-standing friendship, the tabloid said.
The Times newspaper said it understood Van Gaal would have left United without a pay-off -- as he has at previous clubs -- had the Red Devils handled his dismissal better.
It said he finally agreed a severance package of £4.55 million.
United goalkeeping legend Peter Schmeichel believes Mourinho is the right man to get the club back on track.
"They have a guy that is supposed to be the biggest manager in the world, the one that really could save Manchester United," the Dane told the BBC.
"It has been a brave decision but one that is long overdue."

Mourinho set to fulfil Man Utd dream

AFP, MANCHESTER: Jose Mourinho was on the verge of fulfilling his dream of managing Manchester United on Tuesday after Louis van Gaals troubled two-year reign came to a bitter end. The path was clear for the former Chelsea manager to be confirmed as the new United boss after Van Gaal was sacked Monday -- the price of failing to get one of the worlds biggest clubs into the Champions League. Mourinhos agent Jorge Mendes was reported by British media to be in negotiations to tie up a deal. It sets the stage for one of the sports most intriguing characters to at last manage the Red Devils after a glittering career that so far features 21 major trophies, including three English Premier League crowns and two Champions League titles. Mourinho was sacked by Chelsea in December after a miserable campaign marred by rifts with the clubs star players that eventually became intolerable to owner Roman Abramovich as the team, champions just months earlier, languished near the relegation zone. Now the colourful and controversial 53-year-old will hope to restore his reputation by bringing back the sparkle to United. A casually-dressed Mourinho declined to answer reporters questions as he left his London home and got into a car on Tuesday morning. The BBC said the Portuguese managers appointment was unlikely to be finalised Tuesday but was expected to be completed within the week. For his part, Van Gaal said he was very disappointed to be sacked just 48 hours after leading United to victory in the FA Cup final against Crystal Palace on Saturday. But United had finished fifth in the Premier League and thereby missed out on a lucrative Champions League place, which proved the final straw for the clubs US-based owners. The Glazer family didnt let Uniteds first piece of silverware since the 2013 retirement of legendary boss Alex Ferguson stop them from wielding the axe on 64-year-old Van Gaal. The Dutchman cleared out his office at Uniteds Carrington training ground on Monday after talks over a settlement for the final year of his three-year contract -- worth a reported 6.4 million ($9.2 million, 8.2 million euros) per year. The Daily Mirror newspaper reported that Mourinho called Van Gaal in the last few weeks to warn him that United had sounded him out about the Old Trafford job. Mourinho worked under Van Gaal at Barcelona in the late 1990s and made the call to preserve their long-standing friendship, the tabloid said. The Times newspaper said it understood Van Gaal would have left United without a pay-off -- as he has at previous clubs -- had the Red Devils handled his dismissal better. It said he finally agreed a severance package of 4.55 million. United goalkeeping legend Peter Schmeichel believes Mourinho is the right man to get the club back on track. They have a guy that is supposed to be the biggest manager in the world, the one that really could save Manchester United, the Dane told the BBC. It has been a brave decision but one that is long overdue.