A round-up of today's other stories in brief
Mourinho says a move to City is ‘impossible’
REAL Madrid coach Jose Mourinho believes it’s “impossible” that he will join Manchester City this summer. Reports have linked the former Chelsea manager with a move to Eastlands at the end of the season to replace Italian tactician Roberto Mancini.
However, Mourinho said to Sky Italia: “Me to Manchester City? That’s impossible.”
Mourinho has always expressed his wish to return to the Premier League in the future. However, the 48-year-old has three years left on his contract with Real Madrid and intends to honour it.
Mourinho was also asked about AC Milan’s interest in Real star Cristiano Ronaldo.
AC Milan owner Silvio Berlusconi publicly expressed this week an interest in acquiring the Portuguese forward. “I’m not saying it’s impossible, because in football you never know, and Berlusconi can make a crazy offer,” Mourinho said.
“But it must be a crazy offer because Real don’t want to sell Cristiano Ronaldo.”
Nelsen ruled out
BLACKBURN defender Ryan Nelsen has been ruled out for the rest of the season after having a knee operation on Monday. The New Zealander was forced off with the problem during last weekend’s 1-1 Premier League draw against Birmingham and manager Steve Kean revealed there was no option but for Nelsen to go under the knife. The centre-back partnership between Nelsen and captain Christopher Samba has been one of the clubs’ main strengths.
SUNDERLAND manager Steve Bruce has revealed striker Fraizer Campbell is unlikely to play again this season as he prepares to undergo a second operation on his knee.
Domenech and FFF fail to agree
FORMER France coach Raymond Domenech and the French Football Federation (FFF) failed to come to an agreement yesterday over his severance package and will convene again for an arbitration hearing on January 13th next year.
Domenech was dismissed for serious misconduct in September after the fiasco at last year’s World Cup in South Africa, when the team went on strike after forward Nicolas Anelka was sent home for verbally abusing the coach.
The coach wants €2.9 million in damages, a figure the French sports minister Chantal Jouanno has said is “indecent”.
“There has been no conciliation, the matter is referred to a hearing on January 13th, 2012,” Domenech’s lawyer Jean-Yves Connesson told reporters. “The battle continues to assert the rights of Raymond Domenech and we are extremely confident.”
Orient apply for judicial review
LEYTON Orient have followed Tottenham by applying to the British High Court for a judicial review over West Ham United’s planned move to the 2012 Olympic Stadium after the Games, chairman Barry Hearn said yesterday.
Orient, who play in League One claim that West Ham’s move into the stadium will put their own existence in doubt and, like Spurs, say Newham Council were not entitled to provide a loan of up to €45 million to the stadium company that will be set up to run the venue and from whom West Ham will rent the ground.
They also claim the Premier League has broken its own rules in sanctioning a move by one club close to the established home of another club in the area.
We are taking action against Newham Council because the loan is unlawful, Hearn told Sky Sports News.
Celtic face Motherwell on final day
CELTIC will meet Motherwell and title rivals Rangers will play at Kilmarnock on the final day of the Premier League season, the Scottish Premier League announced yesterday.
Neil Lennon’s Celtic hold a two-point lead over Walter Smith’s Rangers with seven games remaining this season.
Five will come after the SPL split, with the SPL already announcing Rangers will host Celtic at Ibrox on Easter Sunday.
The final Old Firm derby of the season is part of the first round of post-split fixtures, to ensure the match is not a title decider.
Celtic, who are still to discover a date for their postponed match at Inverness Caledonian Thistle, play home fixtures with Dundee United (May 1st) and Motherwell (May 15th) and games at Rangers (April 24th), Kilmarnock (May 8th) and Hearts (May 11th).
Rangers play Celtic (April 24th), Hearts (May 7th) and Dundee United (May 10th) at Ibrox and away fixtures at Motherwell (April 30th) and Kilmarnock (May 15th).
All 12 teams in the top flight will complete the season having played 19 games at home and 19 away.
However, Rangers will host Dundee United for a third time and Celtic will visit Kilmarnock for a third time, while Hearts will play Motherwell at Tynecastle for a third time this season.
O'Reilly leaves Ireland on a high
RYAN O’Reilly’s late winning goal in Blarney yesterday against Belgium ensured the campaign ended on a high for the Republic of Ireland Under-16 A team.
Having played just the last four minutes of Tuesday’s 1-0 defeat to the Belgians, Ballyjamesduff player O’Reilly made a major impact and crowned his display by scoring from a corner seven minutes from full-time by his fellow Cavan native Jonathan Leddy.
Leddy had gone close to netting the opener in the first half as did Sam Byrne and Gary O’Neill after the break.
Meanwhile, in the B game also played between the nations yesterday, Belgium took the honours courtesy of a last-minute goal.
Gerkens was on hand to tuck the ball home from close range just minutes after Ireland goalkeeper Stephen Morris had saved Grillet’s shot from point-blank range.
Off-colour finishing cost Ireland as they passed up clear-cut first-hand openings by Andy O’Connor and Eoghan O’Connell.
Cole accepts FA charge
WEST Ham striker Carlton Cole has accepted an FA charge of improper conduct in relation to comments he made on Twitter during England’s game against Ghana last month.
Cole caused outrage during the 1-1 draw at Wembley when he tweeted: “Immigration has surrounded the Wembley premises! I knew it was a trap! Hahahaha. The only way to get out safely is to wear an England jersey and paint your face with the St George’s flag!”
All-Portuguese final still on
EUROPA LEAGUE: FC Porto eased into the Uefa Europa League semi-finals after scoring five against FC Spartak Moskva for the second week running.
Three goals in a nine-minute spell either side of the break from Cristian Rodríguez, Fredy Guarín and Falcao put the icing on the cake for the Portuguese champions.
The emphatic aggregate victory is the highest winning margin in an Uefa Cup or Uefa Europa League quarter-final.
Second-half strikes from Artem Dzyuba and Ari were little consolation for Spartak.
UEFA EUROPA LEAGUE – Quarter-Finals, Second Leg: Braga 0 Dynamo Kiev 0. Agg: 1-1 Braga win on away goals. FC Twente 1 (Bajrami 32) Villarreal 3 ( Rossi 59 pen, Ruben 83 pen, Cani 89) Agg: 2-8. PSV 2 (Dzsudzsak 17, Lens 25) Benfica 2 (Luisao 45, Cardozo 63 pen). Agg: 3-6. Spartak Moscow 2 Dzjuba (52, Ari 72) FC Porto 5 (Hulk 28, Rodriguez 45, Guarin 47, Falcao 54, Ruben Micael 89) Agg: 3-10
Semi-final line-up: Braga v Benfica; FC Porto v Villarreal. First legs to be played on April 28th; second legs on May 5th.
Delap to sign 12-month extension
STOKE midfielder Rory Delap is poised to seal a 12-month extension to his contract ahead of the FA Cup semi-final against Bolton on Sunday at Wembley. That would see the 34-year-old, who has made 31 league appearances season, continue until 2013.
Manager Tony Pulis said: “Rory deserves it. He has been a very big part of this club. It is not just what he does on the field. He gets his reward for what he does off the field.”
Delap has carved out a reputation as a long-throw specialist but Pulis insists there is much more to the player’s game than that skill. “You do not play over 500 leagues game, 400 of them in the top flight, to be just the person to pick the ball up and throw it in the box,” said Pulis.
