Laporta rejects Mourinho speculation

​Former Barcelona president Joan Laporta has rejected rumours that he will appoint Jose Mourinho as head coach if re-elected.

Chelsea boss Mourinho took his first steps into football coaching at Camp Nou, where he worked under Bobby Robson and Louis van Gaal from 1996 to 2000 before taking over at Benfica.

Reports in Spain have suggested that Laporta, who served as president between 2003 and 2010, is interested in bringing Mourinho back to Catalonia if he reassumes charge at Barca.

Laporta is eligible for re-election in 2016, but has denied speculation that he has held talks with Mourinho’s agent Jorge Mendes over the possibility of the Portuguese joining the 22-time Spanish champions.

“My style of coaching is with the [Johan] Cruyff philosophy,” Laporta told Catalan newspaper L’Esportiu.

“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.”