Jose Mourinho is exactly what the Scottish Premiership needs, and Rangers should sign him immediately if Russell Martin leaves.
That is the opinion of club great Ally McCoist, who reckons the 62-year-old would be his ideal pick if under-pressure Martin leaves the Glasgow giants.
Mourinho was fired by Turkish club Fenerbahce last week, following only 14 months in command.
The decision was reached after the Istanbul club lost 1-0 to Benfica in the Champions League play-off match.
Speculation about where the former Chelsea manager could land up is already rife, with Joe Cole saying his old boss would be ‘fireworks’ at West Ham.
However, Mourinho is reported to be interested in returning to coach Rangers, having previously expressed his fondness for the club.
In March, Mourinho praised Scottish football, saying, “People can say the Scottish league is a league of two teams, but it is a league of passion.” “Passion in football means everything.”
Before adding: “Celtic and Rangers are two large clubs with fantastic histories, both in Europe. I have a lot of respect. They are major clubs with large fan bases and aspirations.
And Rangers’ record goalscorer McCoist has admitted that he would love to have Mourinho in the club’s dugout, despite the fact that the club may be unable to afford his salaries.
What did Ally McCoist say about Jose Mourinho to the Rangers?
Speaking on the talkSPORT Breakfast Show, McCoist was asked if he would like to see Mourinho at Ibrox if the manager’s position became vacant, with Martin facing criticism from fans and analysts.
To which the 62-year-old replied, “I’ll take Jose.” Listen, there is a man in the job right now.
“But if you ask me later, would I take Jose Ibrox? Yes, I would. Absolutely.
“Many people believe he is past his prime.
“I am not so sure. I’d love to see him back in Scottish football.
“I just believe he’s major news, and I think he’s good for the game.
“I think we love him because he piques our interest, tells stories, and is unique. “The more people like that for me, the better.”
Co-host Jeff Stelling then joked: “As long as you don’t want to see great, exciting, expansive attacking football.”
Stelling then suggested that Rangers couldn’t afford Mourinho, who was reputedly earning £9.1 million per year [£175k per week] in Turkey.
José Mourinho’s managerial career
Benfica – 2000
Uniao de Leiria, 2001-2002
Porto – 2002-2004: six trophies
Chelsea – 2004-2007: six trophies
Inter Milan 2008-2010: five trophies
Real Madrid – 2010-2013: three trophies
Chelsea – 2013-2015: two trophies
Manchester United – 2016-2018: three trophies
Tottenham Hotspur – 2019–2021.
Roma – 2021-2024 – One Trophy
Fenerbahce – 2024/2025
McCoist acknowledged that this could be the case, saying, “No, you’re perfectly right.
“But, if you’re asking, would I like to see him play Scottish football? Of course, I would.
“Because we just spoke about it and said it’s kind of down in the doldrums at this moment in time, so, he would certainly bring a bit of life to it, wouldn’t he?”
How have the Rangers performed under Russell Martin?
Martin is already under enormous criticism after only 11 games with the Rangers.
He has only won four games in all competitions, none of which have been in the league.
With four draws in as many Scottish Premiership matches, the team is off to its worst start in 42 years.
No other permanent manager in Rangers history has had a worse start at Ibrox than Martin.
Martin, like Mourinho, oversaw Rangers’ failure to qualify for the Champions League league stage after losing 9-1 on aggregate to Club Brugge in their play-off tie.
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