I couldn't be happier says new Spurs boss Mourinho
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LONDON, ENGLAND, UK (NOVEMBER 21, 2019) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)
1. NEW TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR MANAGER, JOSE MOURINHO, WALKING INTO NEWS CONFERENCE AND TAKING SEAT
2. NEWS CONFERENCE UNDERWAY
3. (SOUNDBITE) (English) NEW TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR MANAGER, JOSE MOURINHO, SAYING:
"Happiness-wise and convincement that my choice was a great one, 'a 10'. I couldn't be happier. In relation to the difficulty of the job, every time a club changes at midseason, it's because the situation is not good. That's obvious. Unless something strange happened that we don't know outside, basically the results sometimes make these decisions. And of course, it's not easy, but if I forget - I can't forget - but if I forget that in two days I have a match, if I forget that in four days I have another match, and that we need results, and that we have objectives - If I can forget that, I wouldn't say a great job. Because the potential of the club is huge. The potential of the players is great. I'm so happy. One of the reasons why I came was because of the vision that (Spurs Chairman Daniel) Mr Levy put in front of me about his club and the quality of the players, the quality of the squad were the main reasons why I decided to come. So, I know that I have potentially a great job in my hands."
4. NEWS CONFERENCE UNDERWAY
5. (SOUNDBITE) (English) NEW TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR MANAGER, JOSE MOURINHO, SAYING:
"I do it with a bit of sadness, but I have to do it, I have to speak about (sacked manager) Mauricio (Pochettino). I have to congratulate him for the work he did. And I have to share with you what we already shared indoors. Which is, this club will always be his home. This training ground will always be his training ground. He can come when he wants. When he misses the players, when he misses the people that he worked with, the door is always open for him. And from my experience, tomorrow is another day and he will find happiness again. He will find a great club again. And he will have a great future."
6. MEDIA AT NEWS CONFERENCE
7. (SOUNDBITE) (English) NEW TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR MANAGER, JOSE MOURINHO, SAYING:
"I enjoy what I did, but this is my life and this is where I belong and this is what really makes me happy. So, yes, I'm not smiling as much today because I have a game in two days and not a long time to work. But deep inside, I'm really, really happy and every minute I spend in the club I realise that my option [choice] was correct. I really enjoy a big football club with big a structure, with a great organization where I'm really, really more focused on my job, on my coaching, on my players, on my team, and not worried at all with everything that surrounds me."
8. END OF NEWS CONFERENCE
STORY: New Tottenham Hotspur manager Jose Mourinho on Thursday (November 21) said he "couldn't be happier" about his decision to take the helm of the north London club.
But during a news conference on Thursday (November 21), he also paid tribute to his predecessor Mauricio Pochettino and backed the Argentine to find happiness again at a different club.
Speaking in his first news conference ahead of Saturday's (November 23) Premier League clash against West Ham United, Mourinho said the club's door will always be open for Pochettino, who guided Spurs to the Champions League final last season.
Mourinho, who took charge of the club on Wednesday (November 20), has inherited a squad that finished in the Premier League's top four in four consecutive seasons, but are currently 14th after a poor start to the campaign.
The Portuguese returns to club management 11 months after being sacked by Manchester United, where he made a poor start to last season and was criticized by fans and pundits for playing dull, defence-minded football.
Mourinho will be looking to end Tottenham's run of 12 league away matches without victory when they visit the London Stadium in his first match.
Tanguy Ndombele and Jan Vertonghen have recovered from injury and will be assessed ahead of the weekend's match against 16th-placed West Ham, who are looking for their first win in seven league matches.
(Production: Iain Axon, Will Russell, Kurt Michael Hall)
