Baia: Mourinho could coach Barca

Former Barcelona goalkeeper Vitor Baia believes Real Madrid’s Jose Mourinho could have succeeded as head coach of the Catalan club.

Mourinho worked at Camp Nou from 1996 until 2000 under head coaches Bobby Robson and Louis van Gaal, first as an interpreter and then as an assistant coach.

Baia feels his fellow Portuguese would have done a good job if he had been given the opportunity to take up the head role at Barcelona.

“He’s the best coach in the world in my opinion, and he is a very special person,” Baia said to Esports COPE.

“Mourinho would have been a good coach for Barcelona. He has the ability to adapt to every culture.”

“The Mourinho we saw at Chelsea was a completely different coach than the one at Porto.”

“And the one at Inter was again another type of coach. The Mourinho we’re now seeing at Madrid is once more another type.”

Mourinho has been the subject of speculation suggesting he will quit Real at the end of the season, but the 49-year-old has so far denied he is preparing to leave the Spanish capital.