Steve Clarke reckons Celtic can't afford Jose Mourinho

By Hamish Carton

May 7, 2019

Steve Clarke has given his verdict on the possibility of his former colleague Jose Mourinho moving to Celtic. The Kilmarnock boss worked with “the Special One” at Chelsea between 2004 and 2008 so is ideally placed to guess what’s on his mind.

Mourinho was heavily linked with the switch to Glasgow on Sunday, with Sky Sports in Italy reporting the Hoops had offered him the job. Celtic did dismiss those rumours swiftly but that didn’t stop the PFA Manager of the Year from weighing-in.

Clarke told Rock Sport Radio: “I know he spoke very highly of the Celtic support when he was manager of Porto and they played in Seville in the UEFA Cup Final.

(Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images)

“I think he’s impressed with the two big teams in Scotland, but I would expect Jose to go to a more high profile European league than Scotland. Somewhere where he can maybe get eight, ten million pounds a year.

“I’m not sure Celtic are going to pay that.”

(Photo by Ian Walton/Getty Images)

The price is wrong

Mourinho netted a reported £24million pounds as compensation when he was relieved of his duties at Manchester United in December. That shows the level of wage the former Real Madrid boss commands.

If Mourinho was to take the move to Celtic he would have to take a cut in earnings as much as ambition. The 56 year-old would be on a fraction of the money at Celtic Park with even Brendan Rodgers’ wage a drop in the ocean when compared. He would also stray away from one of Europe’s top league for the first time since 2004.

(Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)

That ponders the question: what would he have to gain from coming to Celtic? Taking an objective view, it’s hard to see any real reason for him to move. Champions League group stage football isn’t guaranteed and league duty is unlikely to whet his appetite. That’s what makes the idea of Mourinho’s move so hard to believe at this stage.