Football
ESPN staff 9y

Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho says PSG wanted him as manager

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho claims that he has turned down the chance to manage Paris Saint-Germain twice.

The French club were bought by Qatar Sports Investments in 2011 and have spent millions of euros getting them into Europe again, while also claiming two back-to-back Ligue 1 titles and a Coupe de la Ligue trophy.

However, before they chose Carlo Ancelotti (in 2011) and then France legend Laurent Blanc (in 2013) to take over as manager, the owners targeted Mourinho.

"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," he told a news conference. "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 quarterfinals 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 quarterfinals, 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 then asked why he first turned down the chance to join PSG and 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."

PSG entertain Chelsea in the first leg of their last-16 clash on Tuesday, but are currently third in Ligue 1 behind Lyon and Marseille. Mourinho, however, is certain that they will finish on top at the end of the season.

"They know they are going to be champions," he added. "They know the other teams will not resist them. They draw at home last weekend, but the distance to the leader is still only two points, so I think they know they are going to be champions."

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