Andre Villas-Boas has told pals he has ‘no chance’ of getting the Liverpool job.
The Portuguese coach, sacked by Chelsea in March, held talks with the Reds earlier this month about replacing sacked Kenny Dalglish in the Anfield dugout.
But after being installed as the bookies’ favourite to assume the Kop reins, Villas-Boas, 34, has dropped down the pecking order in the last 24 hours.
And with Liverpool seemingly now intent on luring Roberto Martinez from Wigan instead, AVB is resigned to missing out on what he considered a great opportunity to repair his damaged reputation.
A source close to the ex-Porto boss said: “Andre doesn’t think he’s got a chance of being offered the Liverpool job any more. That’s what he is saying to friends.
“He really wanted it – so he’s very disappointed. But he will now look to find another club.”
Villas-Boas arrived at Stamford Bridge last summer hailed as one of the brightest, most forward-thinking coaches in Europe.
That stemmed from his remarkable success with Porto, where he won four trophies, including the Europa League, in his one and only season there.
But AVB found life at Chelsea a great deal tougher, especially when he fell out with a number of the club’s senior stars, including Frank Lampard.
And a disastrous run of league form, which ultimately cost the Blues a top-four place, led to Roman Abramovich firing him following a 1-0 defeat at West Brom.
Villas-Boas’ advisors later put his name forward to the Liverpool board as the best man to bring back the glory days to the club.
However, while initially convinced he would be asked to fill the vacancy, AVB has since realized that is not likely to happen.
And that seems down to a backlash from fans strongly opposed to any suggestion of his appointment.
The Kop revolt seems to have been the final nail in the coffin for him in the thinking of the club’s American owners, Fenway Sports Group.
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