Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho gave short shrift when quizzed on the possibility of a sensational return to Real Madrid as he prepares for a reunion with one of his old pupils, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Juventus in the Champions League on Tuesday.
A run of five games without a win has left Real boss JulenLopetegui on the brink of the sack just four months after accepting the thankless task of replacing Zinedine Zidane at the Bernabeu after three straight Champions League titles.
Mourinho’s future at United is also in doubt with the Red Devils languishing in 10th in the Premier League, nine points off rivals Manchester City and Liverpool, just nine games into the new season.
However, the Portuguese batted away a series of questions from Spanish and Italian journalists on whether a Real return would interest him at Old Trafford on Monday, highlighting that he signed an extended contract just this year till 2020.
“No, I’m happy here. I’m happy to see my contract out to the very last day of that contract and I would like to stay after my contract ends,” said Mourinho. “All I’m thinking about is Manchester United.”
Ronaldo is returning to Old Trafford for just the second time since he left United to join Madrid for a world record fee in 2009.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner made his name in Manchester, but showed no mercy on his last visit when he and Mourinho teamed up to dump United out of the Champions League in 2013.
And Mourinho is well aware of the challenge he faces in setting up a defence that has conceded 16 times in the Premier League already this season to stop the top scorer in the Champions League for the past six seasons.
“He is one of the best players of all time,” added Mourinho. “It’s as simple as that.”
