Gary Lineker has revealed that Jose Mourinho snubbed him at an awards ceremony and confronted Ed Woodward for talking to him
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Gary Lineker, like so many in football, has fallen foul of Jose Mourinho. But unlike most, he has no idea why.
Speaking on The Rest Is Football podcast, Lineker revealed that for several years Mourinho has given him the cold shoulder having initially enjoyed a close relationship.
"I remember when he first came [to England], he was this incredible personality, really engaging and I thought he was witty and he was funny,” Lineker said of Mourinho's arrival at Chelsea in 2004. “I think the game has beaten him up a little over the years.
"I did a little documentary with him. He used to text me all the time, he used to text me after Match of the Day, saying: 'You guys understand it. This is great.' We had been going along like that for two years. And then something changed."
Having known one another for over a decade, Lineker was asked to present Mourinho with a Men of the Year award at GQ's annual ceremony. But shortly before the event the then-Chelsea manager changed his mind.
Lineker explained: "I said: ‘Yes, I'll do that for Jose, of course’. Then about four days before the event, they got in touch and said: ‘Jose doesn't want you to present the trophy to him, he wants someone that's not in football.'
"I thought: ‘Hmm, that's a bit odd,' but I thought I'll go along to the event anyway. I went up to Jose and he kind of blanked me. I went: ‘Are we okay? Are we okay, Jose?’ He went: 'Yeah, yeah, yeah.' But he wasn't okay and he's never been okay since.”
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In the end Claudia Winkleman presented 'The Special One' with his award, and Mourinho has given Lineker a frosty reception ever since.
"I do not know to this day whether it was something I said on Match of the Day, I genuinely have no idea," the presenter continued. "I have interviewed him subsequently and he was very cold.
"I remember doing a Champions League game which they [Manchester United] didn't do very well in. I went up to the directors' bit at Manchester United and I was having a drink with Ed Woodward. He's a neighbour of mine so I know him really well.
"I'm stood there having a drink and Jose comes up but then he just wandered off. He sent a text to Ed Woodward: 'Why are you talking to him?' To this day, I don't know what I did! It is a long time ago but I don't know what happened."
One notable incident between the now-Roma boss and Lineker occurred in 2018, towards the end of Mourinho’s time at Old Trafford. After a Marcus Rashford miss the manager was seen dramatically expressing his disappointment.
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"If I saw my manager react like that, I would be absolutely livid," Lineker said.
"To turn to the crowd and your own bench and shake your head in disgust at one of your own players, let alone a youngster. You just don't do that as a coach."
Never one to back away from a fight, Mourinho responded: “I would invite those people to sit on the bench as manager. But I think maybe it's better to have lots of holidays in Barbados and go to the television screens and touch the electronic dummies.
"This is much more comfortable than being on the touchline like we managers are. I'm pretty sure a proper manager would never criticise another one for emotional reactions on the touchline because it's déjà vu for them. For the ones that have a nice life, it's different."
