Jose Mourinho: ‘A year of rest means weakness’ as former Real Madrid boss rejects coaching breaks

Jose Mourinho has criticised managers who take a year away from football, saying he regards the idea as a sign of weakness and insisting he has no need for time away from the game.

The former Real Madrid manager was speaking in a documentary about his life and career on Netflix. His comments contrast with the approach taken by other experienced coaches, including Pep Guardiola, who has taken a break this year, and Jurgen Klopp, who did the same after leaving Liverpool.

“Some coaches need a year of rest, and I hate this word,” Mourinho said.

“For me, a year of rest means weakness. I never need to rest.”

Mourinho, who remains committed to continuing his coaching career, said he could not imagine a time when he would stop working in football. He suggested that his career could continue for at least another decade.

“I cannot even imagine when I will stop working in football. I say perhaps in 10 years or more,” he added.

The Portuguese coach said his motivation came from the enjoyment he continues to find in management, as well as his desire to win more trophies in different surroundings.

“I enjoy what I do. I want to win more trophies, in new places and in places where I have worked before,” he said.

Mourinho also described the atmosphere of matchday as central to his identity, highlighting the experience of leading a team in front of a large crowd.

“My world is entering a football stadium with tens of thousands of fans present. That is what I always want,” he said.

The former Real Madrid boss added that his life felt incomplete without football, although he did not regard his attachment to the sport as an obsession.

“Without football, I feel that something is missing, but I do not see it as an obsession,” Mourinho said.

He ended his comments with an uncompromising statement about his attitude towards taking time away from management.

“I will not need to rest. I will rest when I die.”

Guardiola took a period away from coaching after leaving Barcelona in 2012, before becoming Bayern Munich manager the following year. Jurgen Klopp also stepped away from management after his departure from Liverpool, while Guardiola has taken another break this year.

Mourinho’s remarks therefore place him firmly at odds with the idea of deliberately pausing a coaching career. Rather than viewing time away from football as necessary, he presented continued involvement in the game as a source of purpose and a route towards more trophies.

The comments were published on Monday, 10 August 2026, in a report by FilGoal.