Mourinho and Man Utd

A timeline of events involving Jose Mourinho, Louis van Gaal and Manchester United, since the Portuguese left Chelsea in December.

On Saturday it was reported Jose Mourinho’s agent Jorge Mendes would be flying to Manchester to negotiate a deal for Mourinho to take over as United manager. 

Here we trace events on and off the pitch and track media speculation that has steadily intensified…

December 17, 2015: Mourinho leaves Chelsea by ‘mutual consent’. “His three league titles, FA Cup, Community Shield and three League Cup wins over two spells make him the most successful manager in our 110-year history,” read the official Chelsea statement. “But both Jose and the board agreed results have not been good enough this season and believe it is in the best interests of both parties to go our separate ways.”

December 19, 2015: Manchester United lose a third game in a row, as Norwich secure their first win at Old Trafford in 26 years, sparking speculation in the press that Van Gaal would be sacked.

December 23, 2015: “Has anybody in this room not a feeling to apologise to me? That’s what I am wondering,” says Van Gaal in his pre-Boxing Day press conference. “I think I was already sacked, I have read. Or have been sacked. Or that my colleague [Mourinho] was here already. You have to stick by the facts, and when I get calls from Ed Woodward, Sir Alex Ferguson and David Gill, because you are creating something that is not good, that is not the facts, and now I have to answer questions. I don’t think I want to do it.”

December 26, 2015: Manchester United lose for a fourth time in a row. “The club doesn’t have to fire or sack me – sometimes I do it by myself,” offers Van Gaal, before giving his Sky Sports interviewer a long stare. 

United captain Wayne Rooney had earlier told Sky Sports: “We are working hard, we are fighting with the manager to try and get the results and turn this season around.”

December 28, 2015: Ahead of Manchester United’s home game with Chelsea, Mourinho scarves are on sale outside Old Trafford – but his agent, Jorge Mendes, tells Sky in Italy: “Mourinho is now in Brazil. Let’s see what will happen when he returns. Jose has to feel comfortable because he is the No 1 in the world.”

Following a 0-0 draw with Chelsea, Van Gaal says: “When the players can give such a performance with this lot of pressure then it is not any reason to resign for me. Inside of the club the players are willing to fight for every metre, the manager is willing to fight, the members of staff are willing to fight and the board is very confident in the staff and the manager so it [the negativity] is not inside Manchester United.”

January 4, 2016: Manchester United end their eight-game winless run with a 2-1 victory at home to Swansea. “I shall think that now the pressure is lowering, the performance shall be better every week,” says a relieved Van Gaal.

January 6, 2016: Former Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon tells Sky Sports News HQ Mourinho was contacted by the club before they made Zinedine Zidane Rafa Benitez’s successor at the Bernabeu. “Apparently Mourinho did not like to come at this time of the season,” he claims.

January 17, 2016: United beat Liverpool 1-0 at Anfield, moving within seven points of league leaders Arsenal. Van Gaal says winning the Premier League is not beyond his side. “To beat Liverpool is always important. Today it was important because our competitors lost points and when the gap at the top is like this we can overturn that. That is what I’m thinking.”

January 22, 2016: Manchester United deny a report in French newspaper L’Equipe that officials from the club held a meeting with Pep Guardiola.

January 23, 2016: United lose 1-0 at home to Southampton and newspapers claim Van Gaal offered to resign later that evening – but Sky Sports News HQ reporter James Cooper says no such offer was made.

The result leaves United with their lowest Premier League points total after 23 games. In only eight seasons in their 138-year history had United scored fewer than their 28 goals after 23 league matches.  

“I’m very disappointed that I cannot reach the expectations of the fans,” Van Gaal says. “They have – or they had – great expectations of me, and I cannot fulfil them, so I am very frustrated because of that.”

Van Gaal promptly returns to the Netherlands to celebrate his daughter’s birthday, giving the players a day off from training on the following Monday.

January 24, 2016: A report in the Independent on Sunday claims Mourinho sent a six-page missive to Manchester United, outlining why he would be the right man to replace Van Gaal.

Mourinho’s agent Mendes releases a statement saying the claims are “absolutely ridiculous and totally absurd” and “it does not occur to anyone that a coach like Jose Mourinho can write letters to clubs offering their services.”

January 29, 2016: After an FA Cup win over Derby, Van Gaal says: “I liked the performance in the first half, it had a lot of confidence and that is back which is very important.”

February 1, 2016: Manuel Pellegrini announces he will leave Manchester City at the end of the season and the club confirm Pep Guardiola will be his replacement.

Manchester United make no deadline day transfer signings, meaning they did not add any players to their squad during the window.

Meanwhile, Mourinho refuses to answer questions from Sky Sports News HQ on Manchester United.

February 2, 2016: Manchester United turn on the style to beat Stoke 3-0 at Old Trafford, a little over 24 hours after neighbours Manchester City announce Guardiola’s appointment. “It was a great performance,” Van Gaal tells Sky Sports.

February 3, 2016: Alessandro Alciato, a Sky reporter in Italy, tweets: “Mourinho – Manchester United: deal close. The derby with Guardiola of …

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