Luís Castro has rejected the chance to take over at Reading, reports O Jogo in their Tuesday edition.
It’s a big story for the Portuguese newspaper, and even gets a section on their front page. There’s some surprise that Castro has turned down a much better financial offer than he’d ever get at Vitoria Guimarães, and is staying for sporting reasons and the hope of something better in the future.
O Jogo report Castro had been ‘inclined’ to accept the proposal from the Championship club, despite having Vitoria fifth in the Primeira Liga, and Reading being 22nd in England’s second tier.
Castro then had a two hour face to face meeting with Vitoria president Júlio Mendes, and changed his mind. An agreement was come to that it was the wrong time to part ways, and completing a successful season with the club can only lead to better opportunities in the future.
After the chat, Castro and Mendes went to the club’s Christmas dinner, attended by players and staff, and O Jogo state ‘the atmosphere that threatened to be tense gave birth to a pleasant evening’.