AS Roma manager José Mourinho has denied the reports of him being in contact with Paris Saint-Germain regarding a possible managerial role.
It was reported on Tuesday that the former Chelsea manager’s agent, Jorge Mendes, was in talks with Luis Campos, the sporting director of the French Ligue 1 leaders. The talks were said to be about his switch to Parc De Princes from Stadio Olimpico as the French club are considering parting ways with Christophe Galtier.
The Frenchman has only been manager at PSG for less than a season and the club is considering a new direction, one which they believe he is not the right fit for. In their new roadmap is a focus on a French core for the talents in the squad and a focus on the UEFA Champions League trophy.
Mourinho has a good CV in the competition, having won it twice with two different teams. He is also the only manager to have won all three major European continental club titles: the Champions League, the UEFA Europa League and the UEFA European Conference League.
He is currently on the verge of winning his second Conference League title with Roma but they have to scale past the hurdle of AZ Alkmaar in the semi finals.
The 60-year-old’s contract at Roma expires in June 2024. The Giallorossi are looking to tie him down to a new contract and he is reportedly receptive to the talks. France remains the only nation to not have the first-hand José Mourinho experience and this, it is understood, could play a role in his decision about his future.
However, he claims that there has been no contact with anyone at PSG despite the media speculations and reportage. “If PSG are looking for me, they haven’t found me. They have not spoken to me,” the Roma boss told Sky Sport Italia to dispel doubts about his future.
PSG are also understood to be pressing forward with their goal of landing Mourinho as manager but they will need to present a convincing proposal to the Special One. This is due to Mourinho expressing his happiness at being the manager of Roma late last season.
“I’m happy here, I can’t hide it. I like the people, I have a good relationship with the ownership and if I say otherwise I’m lying,” he said. “The players are fantastic, they have tremendous empathy with each other. They are not like sons because I have two, but almost.
“I can’t say I’m not happy. Sometimes I think about frustrations and sometimes I think about other ambitions, but today the important thing is that I am happy and I work for the people and I have seen them happy. That’s what’s important.”
