Jose Mourinho believes long-time assistant Rui Faria would be a "good fit" for the Arsenal manager's job when it becomes a...
Jose Mourinho believes long-time assistant Rui Faria would be a "good fit" for the Arsenal manager's job when it becomes available at the end of the season.
Manchester United's No. 2 has been linked with the role at the Emirates along with a host of other names including Luis Enrique, Patrick Vieira, Mikel Arteta and Joachim Low.
Mourinho has worked with Faria since 2001 and says he would back the 42-year-old if he wanted to take over from Arsene Wenger.
He told a news conference on Thursday: "You ask me if I think it would be a good fit and I say 'yes.'
"And I say it because he is more than my assistant, he is my friend.
"If my friend has the possibility one day of a big job I would help him to pack and to carry the bags and to wish him luck.
"So if one day that is going to happen, the first one to be happy would probably be myself because I met him when he was a kid in his university and we were together for 18 years so he is a big friend, more than an assistant so if one day the moment arrives, I will be very happy."
Faria has worked with Mourinho since his time in charge of Portuguese side Uniao de Leiria before following him to Porto, Chelsea, Inter Milan, Real Madrid and United.
After starting out as a fitness coach, he was named as Mourinho's assistant during his first spell at Stamford Bridge, a role he now holds at Old Trafford.
He is not the only Premier League assistant to be linked with the job, however.
There has been speculation Arsenal are interested in their former midfielder Arteta, who is now Pep Guardiola's assistant at Manchester City.
Zeljko Buvac, who took a break from his role as Jurgen Klopp's assistant at Liverpool, has also been mentioned as a possible replacement for Wenger, who will leave the club this summer after 22 years.
COMMENTS