Manchester United

Manchester United 'hit former manager Jose Mourinho with gagging order'

By Barney Corkhill, Editor | 15 January 2019

Man Utd 'hit Mourinho with gagging order'

Former Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho will not be permitted to discuss any details surrounding his Old Trafford departure when appearing as a TV pundit.

Manchester United have reportedly imposed a gagging order on former manager Jose Mourinho ahead of his first public appearance since being sacked by the club.

Mourinho will appear as a pundit for beIN Sports during Thursday's Asian Cup clash between Saudi Arabia and Qatar, before carrying out the same role to cover the Premier League match between Arsenal and former club Chelsea two days later.

It will be Mourinho's first outing in an official capacity since he left Old Trafford in December, but The Times reports that he is prohibited from discussing the circumstances surrounding his departure.

The confidentiality clause is part of a £15m severance package the club agreed with Mourinho last month, and United will reportedly have lawyers watching his punditry to ensure that he abides by it.

The Portuguese boss is allegedly being paid £60,000 per game by beIN Sports, which is a significantly lower sum than the £1m he was paid by Russia Today for five days' work at last summer's World Cup.

United have won all six games since Mourinho's departure, scoring 17 goals in the process.