International Champions Cup organiser calls Jose Mourinho a "pain in the butt"

Sport360 staff 19:14 08/09/2018
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  • Mourinho during United's US tour this summer.

    International Champions Cup organiser Charlie Stillitano has branded Jose Mourinho a “pain in the butt” over the Manchester United manager’s determination to have training facilities exactly to his specifications for the preseason tournament.

    Mourinho had voiced his complaints during United’s summer tour to the US, though his concerns had more to do with the limited availability of players in his squad due to the World Cup.

    Stillitano had expressed his support for Mourinho over that particular gripe, and his latest comments were also meant tongue-in-cheek.

    “Jose, he’s a pain in the butt when it comes to making sure everything is perfect at his training facility,” Stillitano told ESPN FC.

    The two seem to enjoy a good relationship, judging by the American executive’s remarks.

    “He’s a good man and he’s been really good to us and I understand him better than most I’d say,” Stillitano said of Mourinho.

    “I think managers that I know see us as the guys who take them abroad. And for them the reality is that they take it very seriously. The managers take it very seriously. And the commercial people take it very serious for their business to grow their brand.

    “But the managers take it more than anybody, want the right atmosphere, want the right training environment. They want to prepare their team and our tournament has become the best tournament of its kind, and its kind is really to prepare the team, so they take it very seriously.”

    Stillitano also said he and Mourinho “had a few cheeky words together,” about the proposed La Liga fixture in the USA, with reports from Spain suggesting that Barcelona will play Girona in Miami in January.

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