Jose Mourinho has defended his decision to live in a hotel during his stint as Manchester United manager.
The Portuguese returns to Old Trafford for the first time since his December 2018 dismissal when his new club Tottenham visit on Wednesday night.
Mourinho was fired almost 12 months ago after a poor start to the season, which was fuelled by a fractious dressing room amid a fall-out with Paul Pogba.
The 56-year-old, who had led United to a second placed finish in the season where winners Manchester City recorded 100 points, received criticism for his stay at the Lowry hotel in Salford.
But he has defended it, saying it was far better than the alternative.
"You know how I would be unhappy? I would be unhappy if I was in a house on my own," he said.
"I would have to clean, I don't want. I would have to iron, I don't know how to. I have to cook, I would cook fried eggs and sausages - that's the only thing I can do.
"I would be very unhappy. I lived in an amazing apartment, it was not a room. It was mine all the time.
"It was a flat, with, 'bring me a coffee latte, please', or 'I don't want to go down for dinner, bring my dinner up'."I was watching football or doing work with one of my assistants I would ask, 'bring us food'.
"I had everything, if I was in an apartment alone it would be much more difficult. I was fine, more than fine."
Mourinho has not spoken out on the manner of his dismissal at Old Trafford and has continued to keep his counsel in the build-up to Wednesday's game, where he could pile further pressure on his successor Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Instead, he has talked only of how he has studied his time at the club in a bid to learn.
"I did the best I could. Of course I analyse it, I met my assistants, we analyse everything, when we analyse it, was in a very positive, constructive way," he said.
"I forbid them to in the analysis to blame anyone else but us. Focus on us. Don't focus on the club, don't focus on the players, focus just on us."
Australian Associated Press
