Jose Mourinho says it is impossible for modern football managers to stick around at a Premier League club for two decades, a feat which was achieved by the likes of Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger.
Wenger parted ways with Arsenal at the end of 2017-’18 season, the Frenchman overseeing the London club for 22 years where he won 17 trophies. His successor Unai Emery lasted not even two seasons as the Spaniard was fired on Friday, 18 months into his tenure after a poor run of results.
Similarly, Mourinho took over Tottenham Hotspur earlier this month from Mauricio Pochettino, despite the latter guiding the club to the Champions League final six months ago without making any signings.
The self-anointed Special One believed Wenger was the last of his kind in the Premier League with managers having to fight for their job every day.
“Twenty years in a club? I don’t think it is possible,” he was quoted as saying by Sky Sports.
“Modern life, new technology, social media - I think everything has an influence. Even people’s mentality, faster relations, getting tired more easily, so many things that are changing. Not just football, but changing the world and the perception of things. I think Wenger was the last one,” he said.
Mourinho said managers today not only need to provide results but also prove they are the best fit for the club.
“We have to adapt and we have to try to prove that we are the man for the job. We have to fight for our job every day. I think the times where people know the job is going to be mine for X amount of years [are gone]. You have to fight for your job every day. Not just with the football results but with everything you do in the club,” he said.
He added, “I think it’s normal. It happens in society in so many areas. I can imagine even yourself in your newspaper and your radio you have to not just sleep on what you did previously.”