FCBARCELONA.CAT

19.06.2008 16:43

FC Barcelona Press Release

www.fcbarcelona.cat

The following is a translation of the official announcement that was made by FC Barcelona in denial of the recent comments made by José Mourinho about the club.

" FC Barcelona regrets the comments made by José Mourinho contained in today’s Portuguese press in which he discredits the club’s vice president for sport, Marc Ingla, and insists that a meeting in Lisbon to discuss his sporting deals was called by initiative of the club.

Mourinho has claimed that Marc Ingla lied in a radio interview last Tuesday, when he said it was the Portuguese manager who had offered himself as a candidate to coach the club’s football first team.

FC Barcelona wish to make it clear that at no time did Marc Ingla make such a statement, as can be proved by a literal transcript of the interview. The Barça vice president of sport confirmed the meeting, but made it clear that the first option for the position was Josep Guardiola. As for the meeting with José Mourinho, Ingla textually replied that “when two parties speak, it is very hard to say what percentage of interest each one has.”

Therefore, FC Barcelona wish to make it clear that the meeting between the vice president for sport and director of football, Txiki Beguiristain, with José Mourinho, was called at a time when two issues coincided: the need to make provisions for the club’s sporting solutions and the indirect expressions of interest by some sporting authorities within the club in Mourinho’s return to Barcelona.

FC Barcelona is profoundly sorry to hear these statements, which disprove themselves, and considers the matter closed.

Thursday, June 19 2008"