Jose Mourinho was once in a two-man shortlist for the Liverpool job – Ex-player reveals

According to Jamie Carragher, Mourinho was considered for the Liverpool job back in 2004, but the Reds eventually prefered a move for Rafa Benitez.

Liverpool were in the market for a new boss after Gerard Houllier left the club by mutual consent and Mourinho had just won the Champions League with Porto. Meanwhile, Rafa Benitez had just led Valencia to an incredible league and UEFA Cup double.

Carragher has now revealed that a select few of the important players within the Liverpool dressing room at the time were kept in the loop regarding the manager search.

He claimed that the Reds eventually chose Rafa Benitez over Mourinho due to the Special One’s erratic behaviour in the dugout.

Of course, Rafa Benitez went on to lift the Champions League in his very first season at Liverpool, perhaps confirming that the club had made the right choice. Although, Mourinho then signed with Chelsea, winning back-to-back Premier League titles.

Carragher said (Sky Sports’ Football Podcast – as quoted by Daily Mail): “Gerard Houllier had lost his job, and (chief executive) Rick Parry had interviewed Rafa Benitez at some stage.

“He was just keeping the senior players informed about where they were up to, and he did mention Jose Mourinho.

“I knew much more about Rafa Benitez because of the Spanish football and what he’d done, and it looked that (appointing him) was quite far down the road anyway.

“But I think the feeling was that Jose Mourinho couldn’t be a Liverpool manager.

“Possibly because of the way he conducted himself at times.

“I think even that run down the line, even though it was great, at Old Trafford, the feeling was at the club and maybe from certain players that it wasn’t really the Liverpool way of doing things.

“So I always thought we’d go for Rafa with him being a little bit more standoffish.”

Spurs Web Opinion:

In all honesty, this decision could be seen as a real flip of a coin. Both Mourinho and Benitez were incredible managers at the time and would have each achieved great things at Liverpool. However, a world in which Jose did not go to Chelsea would be very interesting indeed.

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