Barcelona advisor Johan Cruyff has denied he is lining up Jose Mourinho to replace Frank Rijkaard as coach at the end of the current campaign.

Reports had suggested that Cruyff - who is an influential figure at the Camp Nou - held talks with the former Chelsea boss with a view to him arriving in Barcelona for the start of next season.

But the Dutchman refuted those claims in his column in Spanish daily El Periodico, writing that the claims were "absolutely false rumours" which were "hurtful to Rijkaard both as a manager and as a person".

The speculation about Rijkaard's future has heightened of late as Barca have fallen behind in the title race to arch rivals Real Madrid amid talk of dressing room unrest.

Cryuff said: "Recognising that Madrid [have an advantage] shouldn't serve to feed completely false rumours like the one that I gave the okay to Mourinho's arrival."

Barca are currently six points adrift of Real at the top of the Liga table but Cruyff -who himself was in charge of the Catalan giants between 1988 and 1996 - insisted his compatriot's job was not in any danger.

He added: "We have a manager until 2009. Rijkaard is my friend and you don't do things behind a friend's back."

Mike Hytner / Eurosport