Sporting Lisbon boss Ruben Amorim has admitted it was a 'mistake' to fly in and speak to West Ham over joining as manager.
Earlier this week, Amorim flew to London in very public talks with West Ham over succeeding David Moyes as manager.
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However, after receiving criticism for his actions in his native Portugal, the 39-year-old has since apologised to the fans.
Speaking in his pre-match press conference on Saturday ahead of Sporting's crucial clash against Porto, Amorim said: "So let's get the elephant out of the room and I'll talk about it once.
"The first thing is to say that the club was aware of my trip. It's important and changes the context.
"Then, talk about the cloak of secrecy that surrounded the trip.
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"I secretly parked the car outside, secretly walked past 15 people, past people and took photographs and got on a plane to take away a little bit of this thing that was all done behind the club's back, that didn't happen.
"Obviously, my trip was a mistake, the timing was completely wrong, it didn't seem right at the time.
"It was wrong, especially when I'm so demanding with my players and always the first to say that each one's problems don't go away.
"They can overpower the team, I have already removed players from the squad for much less.
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"It was my mistake, I have to accept it and live with it."
West Ham became the shock frontrunners to land Amorim, who had been linked with Liverpool as a potential Jurgen Klopp replacement.
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However, the Reds have since reached an agreement with Arne Slot to become their new manager in the summer.
Moyes, meanwhile, has insisted no decision has been made on his future despite his contract expiring at the end of the season.
talkSPORT understands that the Hammers boss will leave this summer while sporting director Tim Steidten has been tasked with finding a replacement.