Inter Milan coach Jose Mourinho said Italian soccer needs to do a much better job of selling itself abroad.

The “Special One” — who took the helm of the three-time defending champions Inter this past summer — said the “fact is that Italian soccer as a product is not liked abroad.” “My family back in Portugal have to wait until midnight to watch a Serie A game while at seven in the evening they have to watch an ugly Getafe versus Valladolid [Spanish League game]. I also look at the Asian market where Serie A is not sold much,” he said.

Mourinho, who once matched wits with the likes of Manchester United’s Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsenal’s Arsene Wenger while guiding Chelsea, said he believes coaching in the Italian game is every bit as challenging.

“It’s true that Italian football is difficult,” said Mourinho, who hopes to lead Inter to its fourth straight league title this upcoming spring. “It demands great preparation by a coach.”