The Malaysian Insider :: Sports
The Malaysian Insider :: Sports |
| Mourinho return would be spectacular, says Villas-Boas Posted: 02 May 2013 08:52 AM PDT  Real Madrid's coach Jose Mourinho reacts during the Champions League match against Manchester United at Old Trafford stadium in Manchester, March 5, 2013. — Reuters picENFIELD, May 2 — Tottenham Hotspur manager Andre Villas-Boas would welcome his mentor Jose Mourinho back to the Premier League next season, saying his return would be spectacular. Villas-Boas worked under Mourinho at Porto, Chelsea and Inter Milan before deciding to forge a name for himself by taking on the coaching job at Portuguese club Academica. Mourinho, who parted company with Chelsea in 2007 having won two league titles, dropped heavy hints this week that he wants to return for a second stint at Stamford Bridge having failed to land the Champions League for Real Madrid this season. "It's hard to make a reading of the situation," Villas-Boas, whose Tottenham side face Southampton on Saturday then Chelsea next Wednesday as they battle for a top-four finish, told reporters. "Obviously his desire to come back to England is extremely strong. Whether he has a club lined up or not, I'm not sure. It's very unlikely when someone makes it that public that everything is set up already. "But he would be a great addition to the Premier League. Jose has a wonderful history in this league and it would be spectacular to have him back," Villas-Boas said on Thursday. Villas-Boas's career path has been similar to Mourinho's having won the Portuguese league with Porto before moving to England for a brief spell in charge of Chelsea. Unlike Mourinho, however, his time at Stamford Bridge did not prove successful and he failed to last a season, although Villas-Boas's reputation has been repaired with an encouraging first season in charge of Tottenham. While Mourinho said this week after Real Madrid's Champions League exit to Borussia Dortmund that he was "loved" in England, Villas-Boas thought it had not always been the case. "I remember when we left (Chelsea) he was not that loved by some of you (media)," joked the Portuguese. "But Jose was loved at all the clubs where he has won titles and there is maximum respect for everything he has achieved. "Whether he's reached the level of Real Madrid's expectations, maybe not, but he won La Liga against the dream Barcelona team." — Reuters |
| Coloccini returns, Newcastle dismiss reports of unrest Posted: 02 May 2013 08:46 AM PDT
Argentine Coloccini has not played since suffering a back injury at the end of February but is available for Saturday's trip to West Ham United which comes a week after a 6-0 thumping by Liverpool that left them one place above the drop zone. "He's the captain of this club and sadly we've missed him for a lot of the season in terms of injury and one thing or another. But he's fit and well," Pardew said on the club website (http://www.nufc.co.uk). "You need your leaders and you need people who are experienced. "You can't get carried away and think that this is a fight. This isn't a fight. It's not a boxing match - it's a game of football so you need to have a calm head and you need to play," he added. "And one thing that Colo obviously brings is that calmness to the team and I think that is very important where we are right now." Newcastle have 37 points from 35 games and are in 17th place, five points clear of Wigan Athletic who occupy the remaining relegation spot after Queens Park Rangers and Reading went down last weekend. They are one of three teams on the same points, along with Aston Villa and Sunderland. After the humiliation at the hands of Liverpool last Saturday there were media reports of unrest at the club with one reporter from The Telegraph then being banned from attending matches and news conferences after his article on the situation. Pardew was keen to stress there was no problem among his players. "As far as I'm concerned, the group is very much together," he said. "We're pulling together, trying to get a result, and the fact that we have a lot of French players and some language difficulty has been kind of torn up and made to be something else. "There's no problem and we go to the next game." Mathieu Debuchy is suspended after his red card against Liverpool while fellow defender Massadio Haidara is an injury doubt. — Reuters |
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