Mourinho hopes to be still with an English club in 2012

LONDON, June 4 (Reuters) Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho said on Monday he hoped still to be managing an English soccer club, whether Chelsea or another team, come London's 2012 Olympics.

The Portuguese coach's contract with Chelsea runs until 2010 but there has been persistent speculation that his tenure could end early because of tension between him and owner Roman Abramovich.

''I don't know if in 2012 I will still be working in English football. I hope so because I love to work in English football,'' he said.

''If not Chelsea, Crystal Palace or somebody else.'' The reference to Crystal Palace, a team in England's second division, was clearly a joke.

Mourinho and other leading sports figures, including tennis player Andy Murray, were invited to the unveiling of the London Olympics logo to make pledges about what they wanted to accomplish by 2012.

''My pledge is to live the Games in a special way. And to live in a special way is to live it as a Londoner, so probably in 2012 I will be in London,'' Mourinho said.

If no longer managing a London-based club, he said he would look to buy property in the city so that he could experience the Olympics as an insider.

British top-ranked tennis player Murray, for his part, promised to ''inspire kids to take up sport and stay active''.

The logo launched for London's Olympics was a jagged, graffiti-like blow-up of the number 2012, coming in a range of colours including hot pink and electric blue.

''This is a truly innovative brand logo that graphically captures the essence of the London 2012 Olympic Games, namely to inspire young people around the world through sport and the Olympic values,'' said Jacques Rogge, president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Reuters BJR RS2009