Portugal: Too early to say – Jose Mourinho on Cristiano Ronaldo becoming manager after retirement

Mourinho spoke to journalists at Valdebebas on Friday, a day after Ronaldo announced his retirement from international football, bringing his 23-year spell with Portugal to an end.

The Real Madrid manager said he respected the decision made by his former forward, noting that Ronaldo still has ambitions to achieve at club level with Saudi Arabian side Al-Nassr.

However, Mourinho expressed his wish that the five-time Ballon d’Or winner would have enjoyed a different kind of farewell as a footballer.

Speaking about Ronaldo’s announcement, Mourinho told reporters:

“His decision must be respected, and I respect it. He hasn’t finished his career; those who know him know he still has goals for his career, and the only thing I would like is for his retirement as a player to be different from yesterday’s.”

“As for whether I see him as a coach, I don’t know what to say. It’s still too early.”

Ronaldo, meanwhile, has previously expressed little interest in becoming a manager after retiring from professional football.

Following the announcement of his contract extension with Al-Nassr, the Portuguese captain dismissed the possibility of taking up a coaching role, although he admitted that his position could change in the future.

“Being a coach? Right now, I can say I will never be one, although ‘never’ is a strong word. The reality is that it’s not in my plans in five, 10, or even 20 years,” Ronaldo said.

The 41-year-old announced on Thursday that he was ending his international career, having made 234 appearances for Portugal and scored a record 146 goals.

During his remarkable time with the national team, Ronaldo won the 2016 European Championship and three UEFA Nations League titles.

His announcement came amid reports of tension between him and Portugal head coach Jorge Jesus. Ronaldo had reportedly left the national team camp without permission after being excluded from a Nations League fixture, leading to a 30-day suspension imposed by the Portuguese Football Federation.