Mourinho rules himself out of Newcastle job despite 'emotional connection' with club

After the club's Saudi takeover, the new owners are reportedly set to sack Steve Bruce and replace him with a more reputable coach.

The likes of Antonio Conte, Lucien Favre, and Frank Lampard have all been talked about in relation to the job.

It was reported last week that Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers has 'no interest' in the role at St James' Park.

And, today, former Chelsea and Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho has said that he won't be joining the Magpies.

There was plenty of talk that the 58-year-old, who won three Premier League titles during his time in England, could be set for a return to the UK.

Mourinho, who is currently managing Serie A side Roma, worked closely with Newcastle legend Sir Bobby Robson for five years at the start of his career.

The pair crossed paths at Sporting Lisbon in 1992, with Mourinho following Robson for spells at Porto and Barcelona.

But speaking to the media ahead of their game against Juventus on Sunday, the Portuguese ruled out the possibility that he would be coming back to England.

He said: "On Newcastle, I don't have anything to say. Absolutely nothing to say.

"The only thing I can say is that for many, many years, I worked with one of the most important figures in the history of Newcastle, Sir Bobby Robson, and so because of that I have always had a bit of an emotional connection with that city and that fanbase. But it's nothing more than that."

Mourinho also expressed his happiness at working under The Friedkin Group at Roma, saying: "I am here, I am really happy to be here.

"I am 100 per cent focused on the Roma project, the Friedkin project."