Rangers to be ‘galvanised’ as Simon Jordan reacts to Jose Mourinho bombshell
Rangers are set to take on Jose Mourinho and Fenerbahce in the Europa League on Thursday, but it could all be very different soon.
The Light Blues and Mourinho are set to cross paths in the last 16 tie at the Sukru Saracoglu Stadium in Istanbul, as the Special One plays host to Barry Ferguson’s Rangers.
Mourinho stated he was open to the prospect of managing Rangers or Celtic in his pre-match press conference, and that’s led to both sides of Glasgow dreaming already.
With the 49ers Enterprises set to take charge at Ibrox this summer after agreeing a deal to buy a 51 per cent stake from the current hierarchy, fans are daring to dream about a statement managerial hire.
Simon Jordan dismisses Jose Mourinho links at Rangers
Either Old Firm side hiring Mourinho would be one hell of a coup for Scottish football – and likely spell doom for their rivals – and he’s far from the only big-name manager Rangers are being linked with.
| Club | Honours won |
| Porto | Primeira Liga 2002-03, 2003-04; 2003 Taca de Portugal; 2003 Supertaca; 2003 UEFA Cup; 2004 Champions League |
| Chelsea | Premier League 2004-05, 2005-06, 2014-15; 2005 Community Shield; 2007 FA Cup; League Cup 2005, 2007, 2015 |
| Inter Milan | Serie A 2008-09, 2009-10; 2008 Supercoppa Italiana; 2010 Coppa Italia; 2010 Champions League |
| Real Madrid | 2011 Copa del Rey; 2011-12 La Liga; 2012 Supercopa de Espana |
| Manchester United | 2016 Community Shield, 2017 FA Cup, 2017 Europa League |
| Roma | 2022 UEFA Conference League |
While the 49ers will be keen to make a splash at Ibrox, Simon Jordan doesn’t think hiring Mourinho would be a good path for Rangers to go down, at least in their current iteration of perennial underachievement.
Speaking on talkSPORT (6 March, 10:40am), Jordan said: “[Mourinho is] working his way down the domestic leagues, isn’t he – what is beneath the Turkish league?
“If you want an appointment to galvanise your football club, I’m not sure Mourinho is that. Mourinho has a very long list of expectations, [and] he tends to divide.
“If you want a manager that’s going to create a particular brand of engagement – and Mourinho creates his own brand – then I’m not sure that [he’s] the right one for you.”
Rangers would need to perfect timing of Jose Mourinho hire
If either of Glasgow’s big two was to launch a bid to make Mourinho their new manager tomorrow, or at the end of the season, you’d be surprised to see the 62-year-old opt for Inbox instead of Parkhead.
At present, Rangers are in desperate need of a complete rebuild on and off the pitch, with their squad set to undergo another overhaul this summer and the Ibrox boardroom needing a broom swept through it.
The 49ers’ takeover – expected to be completed by June – is set to bring about those mass changes at boardroom level, with the likes of Dave King and Douglas Park having become hugely unpopular figures.
Rangers’ new owners won’t be afraid to go big with their new head coach, but with the road back to Glasgow dominance set to be a long one, Mourinho may not be the manager for right now.
Mourinho could bat his eyelids at the Old Firm once again in the future, and if 49ers Enterprises have taken Gers back to where they belong by then, that could be the time to take a punt on The Special One.