IMAGE: Bobby Charlton scores England's winning goal as
Portugal's Jose Carlos runs in to try and intercept during the 1966
World Cup semi-final at Wembley.
Bobby Charlton has previously been a harsh critic of Jose
Mourinho and was understood to have objected to his
potential appointment when Manchester United were looking for a
successor to Sir Alex Ferguson in 2013.
Manchester United's new manager
Jose Mourinho made peace with Bobby Charlton as he met the Old Trafford
icon at the club's Carrington training ground.
Charlton has previously been a harsh critic of Mourinho and was
understood to have objected to his potential appointment when United
were looking for a successor to Alex Ferguson in 2013.
The 78-year-old, a member of United's board of directors, also
criticised Mourinho in 2012 for poking Barcelona's assistant coach Tito
Vilanova in the eye during a heated touchline clash, saying at the time:
"A United manager wouldn't do that. Mourinho is a really good coach,
but that's as far as I would go really.
"He pontificates too much for my liking. He's a good manager,
though." But, despite Charlton's criticism, United finally turned to
Mourinho last week, hiring the former Chelsea manager after the failed
regimes of David Moyes and Louis van Gaal.
With Mourinho being taken on a tour of United's training base, it
could have been an awkward moment when he met Charlton, but the
53-year-old Portuguese was keen to bury the hatchet.
Mourinho shared a warm embrace
with Charlton and, in reference to the United legend's goals in
England's semi-final victory over Portugal in the 1966 World Cup
jokingly told him: "You killed my country's dream in 1966 but even so,
all the best".
Charlton responded by saying: "I am very happy to see you here"
before Mourinho told him to save the kind words until he starts winning
matches.
The video of the meeting, released on United's official website, will
be seen as an attempt by the club to draw a line under Charlton's
comments about Mourinho.
Mourinho and long-time assistant Rui Faria joined Charlton, United's
executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward and head of elite development John
Murtough on a tour of the club's training centre.
The former Real Madrid boss was also photographed by his wife
Matilde's Twitter account in an image that showed him standing outside
the training ground holding a club shop bag emblazoned with the United
badge.
Mourinho is scheduled to start work with those United players not
involved in Euro 2016 or the Copa America when they report back for
pre-season training on July 4.
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