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Porto coach eyes English challenge

May 06, 2004 20:29 IST

Porto coach Jose Mourinho will choose the English premier league over Spain or Italy if a series of "strong incentives" persuade him to leave the Portuguese club at the end of the season.

Mourinho, speaking in an interview with sports daily O Jogo on Thursday, did not comment directly on reports linking him with Chelsea.

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"Porto's president knows that at the moment I'm thinking only about Porto but he also knows there's a lot going on around me," Mourinho said.

"There are very strong incentives that could make me want to leave at the end of the season.

"If I leave Porto, I can't guarantee it will be England but if the alternative is Italy then England will be my choice.

"I can guarantee my future will not be in Spain."

Mourinho is in demand after leading Porto to back-to-back Portuguese league titles and following up last season's UEFA Cup win with a run to the final of the Champions League.

Porto take on Monaco in that final on May 26 in Gelsenkirchen after the French side completed a 5-3 aggregate win over Chelsea on Wednesday.

English newspapers are convinced that Mourinho will take over from Claudio Ranieri at Chelsea next season.

"The English press say so many things that it's not worth getting into denying them," Mourinho said. "From interviews that I've not given to headlines with words I've never said, I've read a bit of everything. Let's just let the water run."


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