FC Barcelona appointed Pep Guardiola as manager in 2008, but did you know Jose Mourinho was also interviewed for the job? Here's why he was snubbed.
After showing promise with the Barcelona B squad, Guardiola was approached by the board to take over as the club's head coach after it became clear Frank Rijkaard was going to be sacked.
Despite being nervous, Guardiola made himself available for the position, but he wasn't the only person considered for the mammoth task that lay ahead.
Mourinho was also in the running for the job, and even attended a meeting with the Barca board to discuss the vision he had for the club going forward.
As the story goes in Spanish football expert Guillem Balague's book Pep Guardiola: Another Way of Winning, the Blaugrana were on the brink of a crisis, with key players in the team, such as Ronaldinho, behaving irresponsibly.
During his meeting with Barca, it is believed Mourinho had their board members wrapped around his finger, proposing which players he would bring in, which players he would sell, and what brand of football his side would play.
However, the one thing the Blaugrana were hoping Mourinho would work on was the one thing he was unwilling to change: the way he handles the media.
The club were concerned with how the Portuguese dealt with the press, with Mourinho explaining that he wouldn't change his image in front of the cameras because he felt games could be won in press conferences.
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It was eventually decided that Guardiola should be given the job, his first opportunity as a senior team manager, and he went on to win 14 trophies as manager of the Catalan club.
Who do you think is a better manager, Guardiola or Mourinho? Let us know in the comments section below.
