'Barca wanted to sign Pepe' says Mourinho

Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho, as famous for his unpredictable press as he is for his astute football tactics, has sensationally claimed that Barcelona wanted to sign Real Madrid’s Portuguese centre-back Pepe.

“I know nothing about a video of Pepe,” he told reporters at a press conference on Friday.

“I do know that while he was renewing his contract two big clubs pushed for him not to renew.

“I do not know if one of those big clubs was the one who recorded a video.”

Pepe joined Madrid from Porto in July 2007 and and has had problems with discipline having been sent off numerous times in his Real Madrid career.

The other club said to have pursued Pepe were European Champions Chelsea.