José Mourinho had said that he would be waiting by the telephone for job offers, but he can never have expected that the Los Angeles Galaxy would be among the first to make contact. David Beckham’s employers are known to be seeking a replacement for Frank Yallop and, while their chances of landing the Portuguese are about as slim as those of Tottenham Hotspur, The Times understands that the MLS club will offer Mourinho the option of a new life in California.

The Galaxy had already sounded out Jürgen Klinsmann to replace Yallop, but the former Germany coach turned down the opportunity despite being based in Los Angeles. The sunshine may appeal to Mourinho, but, with the Galaxy at the bottom of the Western division with the worst record in the MLS, he is likely to wait for more enticing offers in Europe.

Atlético Madrid are rumoured to be among the suitors and his next job is unlikely to be in England because, under the terms of his settlement with Chelsea, Mourinho cannot become manager of another Barclays Premier League club until next season - a clause that will come as a relief to Martin Jol given all the speculation that Spurs might move for Mourinho.

Mourinho’s immediate destination is understood to be Brazil on a family holiday. The fact that he has taken his children out of school suggests that he is then planning to head back to Portugal. He has already denied that he is interested in running the national team in his home country.

In an interview yesterday with RTP, Portugal’s state broadcaster, Mourinho claimed that he was “glad to have left” Stamford Bridge and that saying farewell to his children’s teachers had made him tearful for the first time since he lost his job. He told an RTP reporter that he had hugged 23 tearful players at the training ground, but the station reported that Mourinho had also talked privately of two stars who should hang their heads in shame. No prizes for guessing that pair.