Football
ESPN staff 9y

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho not a Barcelona target, says Joan Laporta

Former Barcelona president Joan Laporta has denied that he is considering making an approach to appoint Jose Mourinho as head coach of the Liga club.

Chelsea manager Mourinho held a coaching role at the Camp Nou between 1996 and 2000, working under Sir Bobby Robson and Louis van Gaal.

It has been reported that, should Laporta be re-elected as president of Barca in 2016, he could look to hire the Portuguese.

However, he was quoted by the London Evening Standard as telling L'Esportiu: "My style of coaching is with the [Johan] Cruyff philosophy.

"Mourinho is a great professional and I respect him, but I did not mention him with Jorge Mendes, a person with whom I have a good friendship for many years.

"From time to time, we talk about things."

In August 2013, Laporta claimed Mourinho had wanted to coach the Catalan club after leaving Chelsea in 2008.

But on Saturday, former coach and Barcelona playing legend Johan Cruyff said he could "never imagine Cristiano Ronaldo or Mourinho" with the Blaugrana.

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