Lyon fury at reports Jose Mourinho shunned them for a special assignment at Barcelona

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• Premier League preview news

France Football magazine today quoted former Lyon player Bernard Lacombe - now advisor to club president Jean-Michel Aulas - as saying Aulas had approached Mourinho after the Portuguese coach left Stamford Bridge last September, and after Alain Perrin had already taken charge of the French club.

"I know that the president approached him (Mourinho)," Lacombe was reported as saying. "But the talks didn't go very far. Mourinho was in need of some rest."

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Taking a break: Jose Mourinho back in Portugal after leaving his post at Chelsea

The report also suggested Mourinho rejected the move as a deal has already been done to take him to Barcelona next season.

However, in a statement released to the French media, Lyon said the claims were untrue and were published simply to disrupt the Ligue 1 leaders.

It read: "Lyon are appalled by these reports which only serve to unsettle and disturb Alain Perrin and his players just before two key fixtures: tomorrow at the Stade de France against Lille and Tuesday evening at Old Trafford (against Manchester United) for a place in the Champions League quarter-finals."

The statement confirmed that the club had contacted Mourinho, but claimed they did so before Perrin was in charge and while Mourinho was still with Chelsea.

"A single contact was made in May 2007 through his agent, after the announcement of Gerard Houllier's departure," it said.

"The club has not recently made contact with Jose Mourinho."