Jose Mourinho has named the three players he will watch with ‘sadness’ at Euro 2024 – and revealed why they’ve got him feeling melancholy.

His list includes two former Premier League favourites.

The Portuguese was snapped enjoying the company of Sir Alex Ferguson at Germany’s curtain-raiser against Scotland on Friday night.

The former Manchester United bosses were deep in conversation and also smiled for a photo for Mourinho’s Instagram.

And a former United star is part of Mourinho’s trio of players who has him feeling wistful.

‘To watch Euro with sadness? Because I believe [for] Toni Kroos, Luka Modric, and Cristiano Ronaldo, it is the last Euro for them,’ he said.

‘And I say sadness, because players like them, we don’t see very often.’

Mourinho has managed Modric, 38, and Ronaldo, 39, during his time at Real Madrid, though he did not cross paths with Kroos.

Kroos, 34, who Madrid fans have tipped for a Ballon d’Or win if he can lift the Euros trophy with Germany, joined Los Blancos in 2014, a year after Mourinho left.

Ronaldo, 39, is at his sixth European Championship and remains a key part of Portugal’s side.

The Al-Nassr forward has a record 126 goals from 208 appearances for his country and will hope to add to his tally tonight against Czechia.

With outstanding longevity, who knows if Ronaldo could yet make it to a subsequent Euros?

Modric has equalled Ronaldo’s record of appearing in five European Championships to date, doing so when he featured in Croatia’s 3-0 drubbing by Spain.

It will definitely be Kroos’ last Euros barring a U-turn as the midfielder is set to retire from club and international football after the competition.