Olympique Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas has detailed how he tried to bring Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho to France.
Aulas made the approach - via text - in October 2019 after the dismissal of Sylvinho.
Mourinho was a free agent at the time after his dismissal by Manchester United the previous year. Aulas takes up the story, revealing he sounded out Mourinho about moving to France knowing he was in contact with Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy about a switch to the London giants.
He recalled to RMC Sport via Le 10 Sport: "It all started with an SMS 'to tell him that there is an interest in meeting'. And he answers me, I don't know exactly the wording, but in fact, he was practically engaged with another club, when in fact, we knew that this was not true.
"Because, especially in England, I know president (Daniel) Levy of Tottenham well, so I knew it wasn't a given. I relaunched him from the text message to tell him, if it was an economic apprehension, that we had become bigger than he imagined.
"He called me back to tell me himself that he was indeed engaged, without saying with which club, even though we found out later that it was Tottenham.
"But then, on the other hand, he did not close the door for the future..."
Aulas eventually appointed Rudi Garcia a week after the dismissal of Sylvinho. Garcia remains in charge at Olympique Lyon, guiding the club to a seventh place finish last season. They reached the semi-finals of the Coupe de France and lost the final of the Coupe de la Ligue.
Garcia also took OL to the semi-finals of last season's Champions League mini-tournament.
- updated February 3
