Jose Mourinho is not an elite manager, insists Jason Cundy, but the Roma boss could help Newcastle in their quest to rise to the top.
The Portuguese picked up his fifth European trophy as his team lifted the inaugural Europa Conference League.
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Mourinho’s men beat Feyenoord 1-0 in Tirana
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Mourinho is the first manager to win a European trophy with four different clubs
He could be granted freedom from the Eternal City after guiding Roma to their first-ever European crown and first piece of silverware since 2008.
However, the achievement did not impress Cundy, who reiterated his point that Mourinho is no longer a top manager.
“It’s not elite, it’s not an elite trophy…it’s the Papa John’s Trophy of Europe,” Cundy said on The Sports Bar.
Whether Mourinho, who twice managed Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham, will make a return to the Premier League was discussed on Wednesday night’s show.
And Cundy thinks there could come a time when newly mega-rich Newcastle jump into the Special One.
“His time is over with the big heads, the elite,” Cundy said.
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Mourinho has won a trophy at every club he has managed except Tottenham
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Roma celebrations will continue late into the night
“He won’t go to United anymore, he won’t go to Chelsea again, Liverpool won’t get him, Manchester City won’t get him, Spurs won’t get him back and I’m not sure at the moment. Arsenal would be a wise move.
“The one that makes me think a bit, it’s not impossible that he ends up there, is Newcastle.
“I’m not firing Eddie Howe, I’m saying if Newcastle are looking, it may or may not happen, but there comes a time when they feel they need that next step.”
But Cundy has warned the Magpies’ top brass that bringing Mourinho on board will bring a lot of baggage, even if it means he wins them trophies.
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This is Mourinho’s fifth European final. He won them all
“But here’s what would happen. He would walk in, happy and smiling, lead you to a final, probably win you a trophy – unless it was Spurs!” Cundy added.
“Then things will start to get dark. Everyone at the club will start bickering, he leaves and there is a huge cloud over the club.
“He’ll leave the club in a worse place than he actually found it, but you’ll probably have a trophy to show for it.
“So it depends on where Newcastle want to be. If there comes a time when they get to a position where they need that next step.
“If you tell a Newcastle fan now in two or three years it will be them, there aren’t many who would say no to that.
“He could maybe take Newcastle to that level, to get them into the Europa League. He’s still capable of doing that.