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WHAT HAPPENED?
Mourinho saw his Fenerbahce side draw 1-1 with United in the Europa League on Thursday, and was sent off during the game. In the press conference afterwards, appeared to extend an invite for Cotterill to join him for dinner in Istanbul. Other journalists were confused by the interaction but the former Chelsea boss explained that the pair are close.
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Sporting NewsTHE BIGGER PICTURE
Cotterill confirmed that the invite was, indeed, real, and that the pair will be meeting up on Friday evening for a bite to eat. Mourinho has spent so much of his career in England, with the likes of Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham, that he appears to have grown close to some of the journalists who would cover his every move.
WHAT COTTERILL AND MOURINHO SAID
Mourinho said during the press conference: “We go for dinner tomorrow, eh? Yeah? He’s my friend, that’s why he asked me a good question!”
Cotterill later explained on Sky: “When he refers to tomorrow, he means today, Friday night. So yes, we are going to go to dinner, it is my pleasure to announce, we’ve had a few dinners, he’s always great company. The kind of guy that you see, the warm Jose Mourinho in public is what he’s like when he’s with friends. He’s very generous as well, always has been. He’s staying in a hotel here in Istanbul, sometimes he stays at the training ground because he’s so focused on trying to get Fenerbahce to play the kind of football and get the kind of results that he wants. But when he does get back to his home away from home, it’s a hotel, it’s a nice hotel. So who’s paying? I guess that depends, it’s a fluid situation, and also who’s paying kind of depends on whether the boss is watching.”
"We go for dinner tomorrow?"
Jose Mourinho invites Gary Cotterill out for dinner 🍽️ pic.twitter.com/zB7xsVTTTE
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) October 25, 2024
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GettyWHAT NEXT?
Cotterill will hope to gain a few insights into Mourinho’s methods during their dinner date. Then, the Portuguese will have to prepare his side for their league clash with Bodrum on Sunday.
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