Tuesday 17 February 2015 10:43, UK
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has revealed he twice turned down the chance to join Champions League opponents Paris Saint-Germain as coach.
PSG approached Mourinho in 2011 and again two years later, with the former Porto and Inter Milan boss travelling to Qatar for discussions.
The owners of the French champions are desperate to dominate European football, and former midfielder Leonardo was also involved in the talks with the Portuguese.
“I know the PSG project well, I know it well because when they start this project with the owner, the president and Leonardo, I was to be the coach,” said Mourinho.
“I met them in Qatar, so I know the project well. The project was to start dominating in France, to dominate in Europe. The domination in France is there, they are champions, champions, champions.
“They are in the League Cup final, they are in the quarter-finals of the French Cup, they are two points behind the leaders so the domination of France is there.
“They want to dominate in Europe too and, to be fair, you look to Paris in the last two seasons in the Champions League and they lost in the quarter-finals, once narrowly to Barcelona and last season against Chelsea in the last second.
“So they know and they feel they are there. They are there. Paris is a big team with big ambitions.”
Mourinho was tempted to join PSG, but he opted to stay in Spain as he felt he had unfinished business with Real Madrid.
He said: “Because I was in Real Madrid and it was a real ambition for me to be champion in Spain, England and Italy.
“It was a big challenge for me and a big challenge to compete directly against the best, Barcelona, probably the best team in Europe for the last decade for sure. It was not the right moment for me to go.”
