Jose Mourinho said he could see himself coaching in France as he attended Sunday’s 0-0 draw between Lille and Montpellier to reportedly cast an eye over Ivorian star Nicolas Pepe.
Mourinho was sacked by Manchester United in December in a move that cost the Premier League club £19.6m in severance pay for the Portuguese boss and members of his staff.
He has since taken on a punditry role with beIN Sports, and was pictured sitting alongside Lille sporting advisor Luis Campos at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy on Sunday.
“I can imagine (coaching) in France one day,” Mourinho said. “I’m a man who’s worked in four different countries, who likes that, who likes to know other cultures.”
“I like to learn all the time, to work in a different league would be a fantastic experience. (At the moment) I’m calm, I’m trying to enjoy life with family and friends and calmly working to hopefully find another opportunity in football.”
Campos is a friend of Mourinho’s and served as chief scout when the latter was in charge at Real Madrid.
A source told AFP Mourinho had come to Lille to watch Pepe and Brazilian midfielder Thiago Mendes.
Pepe, 23, is the third leading scorer in France this season with 16 goals, trailing only Paris Saint-Germain duo Kylian Mbappe and Neymar, and also has eight assists for second-placed Lille.