Jose Mourinho's admiration for Liverpool has resurfaced following claims that he would love to manage Manchester United again.
Mourinho has been out of work since leaving AS Roma in January after winning just eight from the opening 20 Serie A games. The ECHO's sister title, the Manchester Evening News, understands that the 61-year-old told confidants he would 'walk' to Manchester to manage the Old Trafford club for a second time.
Mourinho left United after being sacked in December 2018 following a two-year stint. He led the club to a Europa League title, as well as the League Cup and the Community Shield in his first season in charge.
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Despite managing one of Liverpool's rivals, Mourinho never hid his admiration for Jurgen Klopp and his achievements at Liverpool, including the 4-3 comeback against Barcelona in the Champions League. In 2019, the Reds defeated Barcelona 4-0 at Anfield after losing the first-leg 3-0.
Today is five years to the day since that famous Anfield, and what Mourinho had to say about the Reds in the immediate aftermath has once again resurfaced.
Speaking on beinSPORTS, he said: "I didn’t expect it, I said impossible is nothing, I said if it’s possible, Anfield is one of the places to make the impossible be possible.
"But I have to say that for me, this remontada has one name – Jurgen. I think this is not about tactics, this is not about philosophy, this is about heart and soul, and a fantastic empathy he created with this group of players.
"They had the risk of finishing a fantastic season without anything to celebrate, and now they are one step from being European champions."
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NikeOn Klopp, he added: "I think Jurgen deserves, you know, the work they are doing in Liverpool is fantastic. But I think this is about him, this is a reflection of his personality, don't give up, a fighting spirit, every player giving everything.
"He’s not crying because he’s missing a player, he’s not crying because they are playing 50 or 60 matches per season. Other coaches in other leagues they are crying, saying their players are playing too many matches when they play 30 or 35 matches. Everything I think today is about Jurgen’s mentality."
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