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May 27, 2016

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Jose image right at the core for United

JOSE Mourinho was expected to be named Manchester United’s new manager either yesterday or today, after the tangled issue of who owns his name — and, crucially, is licensed to exploit it commercially — is resolved.

The unusual sticking point has prevented the widely trailed formal announcement that Mourinho will succeed Louis Van Gaal in the Old Trafford hotseat. Mourinho is understood to have agreed a three-year contract, reportedly worth 36 million pounds (US$53 million).

But media are reporting that Chelsea is demanding United pay a sum running into millions of pounds to sign over three separate trademarks of Mourinho’s name, one of which the club has owned since 2006, during his first spell in charge.

Although the trademarks are limited in scope — reports say they cover secondary items like computer games and teddy bears — the area is important enough to United, which has a diverse portfolio of global sponsorships, to require resolution.

Chelsea believes it is entitled to compensation for allowing United to market its new manager on specific items. A similar conflict arose when Mourinho first left Chelsea in 2007 to join Inter Milan and then Real Madrid, but the London club allowed its former manager’s name to be used by those clubs under license.

The subject has formed part of extended negotiations between United Chief Executive Ed Woodward and Jorge Mendes, Mourinho’s agent. United and Chelsea did not respond to requests for a comment.




 

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