BALASHIKHA, Russia — Former Manchester United coach Jose Mourinho has ceremonially opened an ice hockey game in Russia — and promptly fallen on the ice.
Mourinho was given the honor of making the first puck drop on Monday at the Kontinental Hockey League game between Avangard Omsk and SKA St. Petersburg.
As he turned to walk off the ice, he slipped on a red carpet and fell backward before being helped up by SKA player and two-time Stanley Cup winner Pavel Datsyuk.
An Associated Press photographer caught the fall in a series of photos.
Former Manchester United coach Jose Mourinho, center, falls down after making the first puck drop as two-time Stanley Cup winner Pavel Datsyuk of SKA St. Petersburg, right, tries to help him at Monday’s Kontinental Hockey League game between Avangard Omsk and SKA St. Petersburg in Moscow, Russia, Monday, Feb. 4, 2019. Former Manchester United coach has ceremonially opened an ice hockey game in Russia _ and promptly fallen on the ice. Yevgeni Medvedev of Avangard Omsk is on the left. (AP Photo/Dmitry Golubovich)
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Former Manchester United coach Jose Mourinho, center, falls down after making the first puck drop at Monday’s Kontinental Hockey League game between Avangard Omsk and SKA St. Petersburg in Moscow, Russia, Monday, Feb. 4, 2019. Former Manchester United coach has ceremonially opened an ice hockey game in Russia _ and promptly fallen on the ice. Two-time Stanley Cup winner Pavel Datsyuk of SKA St. Petersburg is on the right, Yevgeni Medvedev of Avangard Omsk is on the left. (AP Photo/Dmitry Golubovich)
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Two-time Stanley Cup winner Pavel Datsyuk of SKA St. Petersburg, right, and Yevgeni Medvedev of Avangard Omsk help former Manchester United coach Jose Mourinho, center, to get up after falling down making the first puck drop at Monday’s Kontinental Hockey League game between Avangard Omsk and SKA St. Petersburg in Moscow, Russia, Monday, Feb. 4, 2019. Former Manchester United coach has ceremonially opened an ice hockey game in Russia _ and promptly fallen on the ice. (AP Photo/Dmitry Golubovich)
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Former Manchester United coach Jose Mourinho, center, is helped by two-time Stanley Cup winner Pavel Datsyuk of SKA St. Petersburg, right, after falling down making the first puck drop at Monday’s Kontinental Hockey League game between Avangard Omsk and SKA St. Petersburg in Moscow, Russia, Monday, Feb. 4, 2019. Former Manchester United coach has ceremonially opened an ice hockey game in Russia _ and promptly fallen on the ice. Yevgeni Medvedev of Avangard Omsk is on the left. (AP Photo/Dmitry Golubovich)
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There were no immediate reports that the Portuguese soccer coach was injured in any way. Avangard won 2-0.
Mourinho has been without a club since December when United fired him for poor results.
