Jose Mourinho has never been a manager interested in building a dynasty or staying for the long-haul at any club, writes David McDonnell in Lisbon.

He has never managed to complete four full seasons at a club, so it should come as no surprise he is already eyeing the finish line at Manchester United.

Mauricio Pochettino may talk about staying at Tottenham for 15 years, but Mourinho claimed such managerial longevity at one club in the modern game is fanciful.

Mourinho caused feverish speculation about his future by gushing about the project at Paris St Germain in a interview with French TV and confirming the United job will not be his last.

Mourinho during training (
Image:
Action Images via Reuters)
Jose Mourinho during the press conference (
Image:
Action Images via Reuters)
Manchester United face Benfica on Wednesday (
Image:
Action Images via Reuters)

And on the eve of the Champions League tie against Benfica, Mourinho claimed it was impossible to build the kind of empire enjoyed by former United bosses Sir Matt Busby and Sir Alex Ferguson, because of the demands and pressures of the modern job.

“The future in football is tomorrow, the future is tomorrow,” said Mourinho.

“The only thing that I told and is true - and there was not misinterpretation of my words - is I'm not going to end my career at Manchester United.

“I ask - how is it possible in modern football that any manager is going to last 15 or 20 years in the same club? I think Arsene Wenger is the last one.

Sir Alex Ferguson's 1999 Champions League winners (
Image:
Getty)
Mourinho and Ferguson going head to head in the Champions League in 2013 (
Image:
Manchester United)

“I think it's impossible for us, with everything that surrounds the job, with all the pressure that surrounds every job, I think it’s impossible for us to last for so long.

“If, in this moment, I want to finish my career in two, three, four or five years, my ambition I would say, yes, my ambition is to end my career at Manchester United.

“But I think I'm going to be here 15 years minimum in football, in the job, and I think it's impossible to stay 17 years in the same club, an impossible mission, even if you wanted to, even if you tried.

“I think Wenger will be the last one to do that, so that was my answer. I don't think I'm going to end my career at Manchester United.”

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho with coaching staff (
Image:
Action Images via Reuters)
United's players during training (
Image:
Action Images via Reuters)

Mourinho's motive for shining a light on his future with his French TV interview was undoubtedly to remind United of his enduring worth and to nudge his employers into offering him a new deal that reflects that after last season's two-trophy haul.

But, typically for such a capricious and clever operator, Mourinho tried to distance himself from the storm he caused with his initial comments, claiming nothing was happening with regard to his United future or, indeed, PSG.

“Nothing is happening,” said Mourinho. “I'm not signing a new five-year contract, and I'm not leaving for PSG. I'm at Manchester United, I have a contract, and that's it.

“I don't think there is an answer for that [extending his current deal], I don’t think there's an answer.

“I'm not in conditions to answer to that because I don’t think there is nothing to answer - I have a contract and that's it.

“I have my contract that ends in May or June 2019. We're in October 2017, so I don't know what to say.”

“The reality is simple - I didn't sign a new contract, but I'm not thinking about leaving too.”

Of more immediate concern for Mourinho is tonight's game, where United can take a step closer to the knockout stage having won their opening two group games.

United top Group A with maximum points and can all but seal qualification for the last 16 with a third straight win in the tournament over Benfica, who have lost both of theirs.

“Our goal is to qualify,” said Mourinho. “I think one point away against the strongest of the three teams in the group is a positive result.

“But the match is also possible to be analysed outside that context and to be analysed in the context of a match that we want to try and win."

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