It was delivered in the foyer of the Jose Alvalade Stadium, about an hour after United had beaten Sporting Lisbon and roughly 30 minutes before the Red Devils contingent were made aware Mourinho had left Stamford Bridge.

Asked whether he thought there was any likelihood of Mourinho losing his job in the next month, a beaming smile spread across Queiroz's face as if he had just been told a very funny joke.

"That won't happen," he said. "Talk like that is just showbusiness."

Queiroz did not know it but his fellow countryman had already been swept away by the relentless tide of a game where not even five trophies in three years can keep you in a job. Such things happen often enough at big clubs on the continent but this is definitely a first for England.

The United hierarchy presumably discussed Mourinho's situation on their return from Lisbon but so far, there has been no public reaction to such a seismic event at a club who not only have provided the major obstacle to success for the last three years but also, in an ironic twist, are their next opponents at Old Trafford on Sunday.

Sir Alex Ferguson thought about responding but, probably wisely, decided he would wait until more details had emerged and then give a considered opinion, which will come tomorrow.

However, the Scot's initial feeling is bound to be one of sadness.

After all, Ferguson has reflected on more than one occasion how highly he regards Mourinho, and how he sees bits of himself in the now former Chelsea boss.

Even towards the end of last season, when the pair went head-to-head for the title, a so-called war of words was more a protection of respective territories than an acrimonious dispute.

When Ferguson advised Mourinho to 'button his lip' in a prolonged argument over referees, the Scot was not only trying to score a psychological point, he was also, in his own way, offering a bit of advice from someone who has fallen foul of officialdom on more than one occasion.

There was none of the naked dislike Ferguson reserves for Arsene Wenger, even though Chelsea, with all their wealth, posed far more of a threat.

When Chelsea arrived at Old Trafford at the end of the 2005-06 season, having emulated the Red Devils by becoming back-to-back champions, Ferguson ordered his team to form a guard of honour to applaud their opponents onto the field, a gesture reciprocated by Mourinho when United triumphed last term.

Indeed, the lasting impression of Ferguson's dealings with Mourinho will be the dubious quality of the red wine presented to the United manager on his first visit to Stamford Bridge following the former FC Porto coach's arrival.

Rather than spend time discussing a goalless draw in the first leg of their Carling Cup semi-final, Ferguson lambasted Mourinho for the awful wine he served up. Duly embarrassed, he took the finest bottle of Portuguese he could buy to Old Trafford for the return encounter a fortnight later.

But, while Ferguson will miss Mourinho, both as a competitor and an entertainer, he will probably manage a wry smile at the mess Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon now finds himself dealing with.

Ferguson has never truly forgiven or forgotten that Kenyon botched an intended deal to sign Ronaldinho in 2003.

The subsequent departure of the self-proclaimed lifelong United fan to Stamford Bridge only fuelled his distaste for the one-time Umbro executive.

Now Ferguson will sit back, like many others, and watch to see if Kenyon can prevent Chelsea from imploding.

If the task proves beyond him, Ferguson will shrug his shoulders, lament the departure of a man he admires and swiftly turn his attentions to either Anfield or the Emirates for his next challenge. That's showbiz.