Manager accused of using Barcelona to put name in shop window

Porto manager Sergio Conceicao has been accused of manufacturing links between himself and Barcelona in order to put his name in the shop window.

The Catalan paper Sport have rubbished the idea that Conceicao was ever a candidate for the upcoming Barcelona job in the summer, saying that he was not considered by the club. However sources in Portugal continue to maintain that Conceicao was or is in the running.

🚨 Sergio Conceicao was never considered as an option to replace Xavi at Barca because he lacks the profile to lead Barcelona, nor does he have the Barca DNA. @joaquimpiera pic.twitter.com/0317BKtdNL

— barcacentre (@barcacentre) April 10, 2024

He has already announced his exit from Porto this summer at the end of his contract, and is keen to look for a top job in Europe. The report continues on to say that he does not have the characteristics Barcelona seek in a manager, and that the connection between Barcelona Sporting Director Deco and his agent Jorge Mendes has been used in bad faith.

Deco previously worked under Mendes, and it would be somewhat surprising if Conceicao had decided to leak a potential interest from Barcelona himself, given this is the sort of work that agents generally do. Given Mendes’ links to the Blaugrana,  presumably, it is a name is able to use without fear of publicly being shot down.