Report: Mourinho silenced by United as part of £18M payoff

Jose Mourinho could face a hefty fine if he reveals details about his firing as manager of Manchester United during his first public appearances this week since his dismissal.

The gaffer has been gagged due to a non-disclosure agreement he signed as part of the £18-million severance deal he agreed to with United, a source told Rob Dawson of ESPN FC. He's set to appear as an analyst for beIN Sports during Thursday's Asian Cup contest between Qatar and Saudi Arabi, and Saturday's matchup between his former team Chelsea and Arsenal.

Mourinho isn't the first manager to be silenced by United in recent years, as David Moyes and Louis van Gaal also signed non-disclosure agreements as part of their payoffs.

It's understood that Mourinho will wait until the summer before deciding whether to return to coaching. He's been linked with a move to Benfica but said that he has no intention of returning to work in his native Portugal at this time.

Mourinho was sacked by United last month following the team's worst start to a campaign in 28 years. He was replaced by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who is undefeated as the Red Devils' caretaker manager.