Mourinho confident of coaching Portugal
(AFP)
Updated: 2006-03-15 08:45

BERLIN (AFP) - Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has claimed he is sure to manage his own Portuguese national team one day in an interview published by the Bild newspaper.

The outspoken and self-assured former Porto boss was asked if he was interested in managing his national team one day and he replied: "Yes! I will definitely coach Portugal one day."

In typical fashion, Mourinho also dismissed the idea that he modelled himself on anyone else.

"My father Felix was a coach, I learnt a lot from him, and I like Fabio Capello (Juventus coach) a lot, but I don't need a role model. I prefer to focus on myself," he added.

Mourinho reserved a word of support for under-fire German national coach Jurgen Klinsmann who was been criticised for his team's inept performance in a 4-1 friendly defeat to Italy at the beginning of the month and for spending too much time at his American home and not enough in Germany.

"I admire his courage, he has a strong character. He believes in young players and he doesn't change his ideas just because of losing one match. That's class. I am a Klinsmann fan," he added.