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Back in May, Sky Sports reported that José Gomes was attracting interest from both the Premier League and abroad, but nothing came of the rumour and we all rested easy in our beds.
However, it turns out the 48-year-old was actually offered another managerial role this summer - as he told BBC Radio Berkshire’s Tim Dellor today in Spain. Not just any old managerial role either, but one at a club set to play Champions League football this season.
Reading manager Jose Gomes has just told me he turned down a job as manager at a European Champions League team this summer to see the job through at Reading. Meanwhile Reading wait for news of the transfer embargo from the league before making any signings.
— Tim Dellor (@TimDellor) July 17, 2019
Historically Gomes has not stayed at any club for very long - he joined Reading after just six months at Rio Ave. Whilst he has only had 24 games in charge of the Royals so far, that is the still the fourth most out of the ten jobs he has had since 2005.
Excluding Chelsea, Juventus and Inter Milan, eight different clubs competing in at least the first qualifying round of the 2019/20 Champions League were on the lookout for a new manager this summer. Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukraine), PAOK (Greece), KRC Genk (Belgium), Club Brugge (Belgium), İstanbul Başakşehir (Turkey), LASK Linz (Austria), FK Partizani (Albania) and F91 Dudelange (Luxembourg).
Of those, Shakhtar would seem most likely considering the Ukrainian champions eventually decided upon a manager in a similar vein - Luis Castro, who Reading also reportedly spoke to in December. Gomes has also previously coached in Greece, making PAOK a possibility, especially as they also appointed a Portuguese boss in the shape of Abel Ferreira.