Jose Mourinho has enough problems on the pitch with his misfiring Manchester United team – but matters are not being made easier by living in the city, which he says is a “disaster”.
The Portuguese boss took over at Old Trafford in August, replacing Louis van Gaal – but has endured a torrid time and was humiliated 4-0 at old club Chelsea last weekend.
He has complained that life out of a suitcase ever since he arrived at the luxurious Lowry Hotel in the city centre does not make him happy.
His wife Tami and children Matilde and Jose Jr – a goalkeeper at Fulham – have stayed back at their stunning central London townhouse – and he says he does not like constant paparazzi attention.
Mourinho is believed to be considering buying a flat, but says his family is unlikely to head north to join him, which will not improve his mood.
Ahead of Wednesday’s fourth-round tie with bitter city rivals Manchester City at Old Trafford, he told Sky Sports: “Buy a house? I do not know, I do not know.
“But the reality is that my daughter will be 20 next week, my son will be 17 in a couple of months. They are very stable. University in London. Football in London. Friends.
“So they are in an age where they can’t chase me like they did before. So for the first time the family lives in a different way. We try to feel it, we try to see the evolution of our feelings and see how we cope with the situation.
“But maybe if I can get a good apartment, not these giant houses that the press says I’m going to buy! I will never buy that! But if I find a nice apartment with a good connection from the garage to the apartment, maybe I do it, but I can’t cook!”
He added of the paparazzi following him around when he goes to eat with his coaching staff: “You know the history of the paparazzi, for the hotel and the brand that sponsors me, the clothes brand, is amazing because they are there every day.
“Everybody knows the name of the hotel! Everybody knows the last arrivals of that brand! So for them, it is amazing.
“For me it’s a bit of a disaster because I want sometimes to walk a little bit and I can’t. I just want to cross the bridge and go for a restaurant! I can’t, so it is really bad!
“But I have my apps and I can ask for food to also be delivered, which I do sometimes!”
