Mourinho: "If you ask me if I'll miss Manchester United's fans, Liverpool's, I say yes."

LONDON (AFP) - Jose Mourinho claims his next job will not be in the Premier League but he would love to return to the English top-flight later in his career.

Mourinho's three and a half year reign at Chelsea came to an end on Thursday when he left Stamford Bridge after a series of rows with the club's owner Roman Abramovich.

The Portguese coach insists he will work in one of Europe's other major leagues next.

A reported clause in his 12 million pounds contract settlement with Chelsea that forbids him from managing another Premier League team for a set period ensures there is no chance Mourinho will be back in England for a while.

"For sure I want to come back but I don't want it in my next step," he told Sky Sports News. "I don't want to leave Chelsea's and go immediately to another door.

"I think my next step must be another country, must be another experience, another football.

"But I am 44, I hope I have many years in front of me. I love English football and I don't change a single word I've said before.

"In football terms, a fantastic period of my career. I want to be back but not the next step."

Chelsea described Mourinho's departure as a mutual decision that suited both parties and the former Porto manager admitted his exit was probably the right thing.

I'm doing this interview to clear up the one doubt," he said. "I was not sacked and I did not close the door on Chelsea.

"I'm not saying I'm happy to be leaving, but I think it was for the best. I will miss so many things. Obviously at the top is the Chelsea fans, who loved me.

"But not only the Chelsea fans, all of the fans in the country were fantastic. They booed me, sang songs about me, but only because I was different to the others.

"If you ask me if I'll miss Manchester United's fans, Liverpool's, I say yes."

Mourinho, who insisted he does not want to manage the Portugal national team at present, even had praise for two groups of people who made his life difficult at Chelsea.

"One or another frustration with referees doesn't stop me saying England has very good referees, honest people," he said. "Some of them have called me.

"And the English press, if you understand their philosophy, it was very funny to play their game. Salt and pepper every day.

"Other managers, great people, top people. Very supportive and very nice to me."

Written by: AFP

(Courtesy: www.soccerway.com)