Football
Rob Dawson, Correspondent 7y

Jose Mourinho plays down new Manchester United deal and PSG move

LISBON, Portugal -- Jose Mourinho has repeated his claim that he does not believe he will finish his career at Manchester United but insists that does not mean he is set to quit the club for Paris Saint-Germain.

Mourinho admitted his admiration for PSG in an interview on Sunday that came amid reports he is reluctant to begin negotiations over a new contract at Old Trafford.

But ahead of United's Champions League tie with Benfica in Lisbon on Wednesday, the 54-year-old said there is "nothing happening" with regards to his future.

He insisted again that he does not think he will end his career at United but only because spending 17 years at one club is now "impossible."

He told a news conference on Tuesday: "You know, I think you English media know the answer for that because in one day it says I'm going to sign a five-year contract, £1 billion per season, and then the next day you say I'm leaving and going to PSG. That's the answer, the answer is exactly that.

"Nothing is happening, I'm not signing a new five-year contract, I'm at Manchester United, I have a contract and that's it.

"I don't think there is an answer for that. I'm not in conditions to answer that because there is nothing to answer, I have a contract and that's it."

Mourinho, who has had spells in charge of Benfica, Porto, Chelsea, Inter Milan and Real Madrid, says he thinks he will be a manager for another 15 years, but added he will not be able to emulate Sir Alex Ferguson's 27-year stay at United and believes the days of long reigns at one club are now over.

He did, though, hint he could sign a new contract to extend his initial three-year spell to "four or five years."

He added: "I have my contract that ends in June 2019, we are in October 2017, so I don't know what to say, and I think you don't know what to say too because one day you say I am going to sign a five-year contract and the next day you say I am going to leave so I don't think you know what to say.

"The only thing that I said and is true, and there was not misinterpretation of my words, is I am not going to end my career at Manchester United. And I ask how is it possible in modern football that a manager is going to last 15 or 20 years?

"I think [Arsene] Wenger is the last one. It is impossible for us, to last for so long. If in this moment I want to finish my career in four or five years my ambition would be to end my career at Manchester United.

"I think I'm going to be here 15 years minimum in the job and I think it's impossible to stay 17 years in the same club even if you want, even if you try.

"I think Arsene Wenger will be the last one to do that, that was my answer. I don't think I'm going to end my career at Manchester United, after that people try to be clever, malicious. I didn't think about signing a new contract, but I don't think about leaving, too."

United are looking to tighten their grip on Group A when they take on Benfica at the Stadium of Light on Wednesday night after comfortable wins over Basel and CSKA Moscow.

Benfica, in contrast, have lost their opening two games, including a 5-0 defeat to Basel last month.

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