Real Madrid CoachJose Mourinho: OnlyA Special ManagerCan Succeed SirAlex Ferguson AtManchester United

Real Madrid manager Jose
Mourinho insists that "only a
special manager" can fill Sir Alex
Ferguson's shoes at Manchester
United when the Scot calls it a
day.
The Red Devils boss will be 69
years old in December, and
there has been speculation
concerning who could replace
him in the Old Trafford hot-seat
after his retirement.
And Mourinho is not surprised
that several managers have been
linked with the potential job
opening at the club. There have
been reports that Everton
manager David Moyes and
Barcelona's Pep Guardiola have
both been linked with the
position.
However, the Portuguese coach
does not envision Ferguson
walking away from United in the
near future.
"Football without Alex Ferguson?
I ’m not sure that will happen any
day soon," Mourinho told The
Mirror.
"The man lives and breathes
football and Manchester United
is his club.
"His hunger and desire to win
the biggest trophies remains so I
cannot see the day he considers
walking away from football
approaching.
"Like Real Madrid, the
Manchester United job is special
and only a special manager is
good enough to take the job on
if and when it does become
available.
"Of course, jobs like that don’t ­
become available every day so
the interest will be vast. Like
Madrid, it ’s a job everyone will
want."
Real were one of the clubs
linked with a move for Wayne
Rooney after the forward had
expressed a desire to leave Old
Trafford. But the 25-year-old
recently did a u-turn and signed
a five-year contract with his
employers.
And the former Chelsea boss
insists that the outcome was
never going to be any different.
He said:"Could I ever see him
leaving? Never. He is Manchester
United through and through and
he is working with one of the
best coaches in football. He ’s a
great player but he belongs to
United. I wasn ’t surprised to see
him stay, I expected it.
"There was no way Alex
Ferguson would have considered
selling him, not to anyone. If you
take the decision to leave a club
like United there are not many
options open to you. Few clubs
come any bigger."
For now, however, Mourinho
remains intent on guiding the
Bernabeu boys to silverware.
"Madrid is a special club and
came to me at special time in my
career," he said. "After winning
my second Champions League
and after my success at Chelsea
and Inter, the Real job and the
challenge to be successful was
very appealing.
"I came to a team that had had
no success for two years and
faced the challenge of a very
special Barcelona team and
some of the great clubs in
Europe in the Champions
League.
"Despite everything and all the
success I have enjoyed, my desire
to continue winning remains. I
love a challenge and this is a
huge challenge for me.
"Madrid didn’t win the
Champions league for 10 years,
the Spanish Cup for 19 years
and haven ’t won the
Championship for three. So
there is a great deal of work to
be done. I love the pressure and
that is immediate at a club like
this because failure doesn ’t sit
comfortably with anyone."
Mourinho also believes that he
has about 15 years of
management left in him, insisting
that retirement is not something
he will consider anytime in the
near future.
"I still have at least 10 or 15
years left in football
management," he said.
"Naturally a day will come when
my circumstances change and I
will want to lead a quieter life.
"But it is not something I will be
giving any consideration too for
a long time to come."