Joe Pearlman, the director behind the documentary series featuring Jose Mourinho, has disclosed that Pep Guardiola was initially open to participating in the project. According to Pearlman, the production team reached out to the former Manchester City manager to gauge his interest in appearing on screen. While Guardiola expressed a willingness to take part, he set a specific condition: the request for his involvement had to come directly from Mourinho himself.
Pearlman noted that this requirement ultimately led to the Spaniard's absence from the series. When the director relayed the condition to the current Real Madrid manager, it was met with a firm refusal. Reflecting on the interaction, Pearlman shared, "We did try and get Pep Guardiola. We approached him and he said: 'Absolutely, I will do this, but Jose needs to ask me'."
The documentary also captures Mourinho expressing his disdain for the concept of a "sabbatical" in football management. In a pointed remark aimed at his rival, the Portuguese coach stated, "Some guys, they need a sabbatical – which is something that I hate. I hate that word. For me, sabbatical means weakness. Don't speak with me about sabbaticals. I never need a rest. I will have a rest when he decides to say: ‘Come up’."
Mourinho, who is currently back at Real Madrid, emphasized his enduring passion for the sport, expressing a desire to win more titles and continue his career for at least another decade. He described the atmosphere of a stadium filled with tens of thousands of fans as central to his existence. Meanwhile, Guardiola concluded his tenure at Manchester City following the 2025/26 season. Although he held discussions regarding a potential role as the Italy coach, he ultimately declined the opportunity. Historically, the two managers have faced each other 25 times, with Guardiola recording 12 victories compared to Mourinho's seven.
I want to do it in places where I did before.""My world is to walk in a football stadium with 50,000 or 90,000 [fans].
Without football, there is not something complete in me.
