Manchester should brace itself for some fascinating local derbies if Jose Mourinho joins United, midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger said yesterday.
The Germany international declined to comment on reports that the former Chelsea and Real Madrid manager had agreed terms with United to succeed the sacked Louis van Gaal.
However, he said every player would want to work under the Portuguese coach who will go head-to-head with Pep Guardiola who has already agreed to join rivals Manchester City.
The two had their share of run-ins in 2011-12 when Guardiola coached Barcelona and Mourinho was in charge at Real Madrid.
“It looks like there will be an interesting city duel if Mourinho joins United,” Schweinsteiger told reporters at Germany’s training camp.
“There is already a lot of enthusiasm in Manchester. Each player would like to train under Mourinho. It will be something special (for the city).”
Van Gaal was fired on Monday a year before his contract was due to end and just two days after United beat Crystal Palace to win the FA Cup, their first trophy in three years.
Schweinsteiger heaped praise on the Dutchman, saying he admired Van Gaal, having developed a special relationship with him over the years.
The midfielder played for two seasons under both Van Gaal and later Guardiola at the Bayern Munich club.
“Louis van Gaal and me have had a special relationship,” the Germany captain said. “My transfer to United (in 2015) also had to do with him. I cannot speak badly about someone I have to thank for so much.
“I admire him as coach and personality. Despite a difficult period with injury (and) bad luck we still managed to lift a trophy not won by United in 12 years. It is a fitting end for him.”
That success, however, could not gloss over a season in which United finished fifth in the Premier League, missing out on Champions League qualification, and where dull performances had the fans booing their own team even after victories.
LOEW OPTIMISTIC
At the camp, Germany coach Joachim Loew said that 31-year-old Schweinsteiger, who has 114 caps, could train fully in terms of running and sprinting but would need a few days before starting to work with a ball.
World Cup winners Germany were without stalwarts Mats Hummels and Schweinsteiger as they began preparing for Euro 2016 yesterday.
“Physically he (Schweinsteiger) has done everything asked of him. Sometimes he trained as much as three times a day,” Loew said of the Manchester United player who has been out of action since March with a knee injury. “He has a good basis now and I am optimistic for the coming weeks.”
Germany, drawn in Group C along with Ukraine, Poland and Northern Ireland, are looking for their first continental trophy in 20 years, with the last of three Euro titles back in 1996.
“I am doing well at the moment and I am very optimistic,” Schweinsteiger told reporters. “The good thing is that I can deal with these situations. I have had difficult times before.”
Schweinsteiger, who had an injury-plagued first season at United and played just 18 league games, also had to race to get fit for the 2014 World Cup with Germany winning the trophy for the fourth time.
“There is a plan for me and I follow it by the hour,” he said. “It worked two years ago. Maybe I was even worse back then than today. Little by little I will move forward.”
Central defender Hummels picked up a calf muscle injury in Borussia Dortmund’s German Cup final defeat by Bayern Munich on Saturday.
“He has a muscle fibre tear in his calf and will be out for a few days. At the moment the only thing possible is treatment,” Loew said.
Bastian Schweinsteiger
