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The Guardian - Football

• Football quiz: Borussia Dortmund
  Today's questions have a big yellow wall in their back yard The FSF is calling for defined areas of grounds to be made available for safe standing areas, similar to those in Germany. Photograph: Joern Pollex/Bongarts/Getty Images
• Liverpool's Brendan Rodgers expects quick decision on Andy Carroll
  • Manager cools on swap with Newcastle's Hatem Ben Arfa • Striker harbours doubts on West Ham move after £15m offer Brendan Rodgers expects a quick resolution to Andy Carroll's future at Liverpool, with the striker's hopes of a return to Newcastle United receding. West Ham United have had a £15m offer accepted by Liverpool for the 24-year-old, who was initially reluctant to move to east London on loan last season and who harbours similar doubts over signing for Sam Allardyce's team on a permanent basis. The England international has not given up hope of revitalising his career at Anfield, despite being told by the Liverpool manager that he will have few opportunities to do so, but he would consider a move back to the boyhood club he left for £35m in January 2011. Newcastle, however, have not registered an interest and a potential exchange deal involving Hatem Ben Arfa is unlikely as Rodgers' interest in the French midfielder has cooled. Rodgers said: "It was just a general conversation in terms of the experience of getting out and playing. He enjoyed that apart from the injury. At the start of the season the whole thing was about going and getting games because he wasn't going to be a starter here. We will talk again with him and the club to see how it all evolves. It's one of those situations where it will probably be resolved a lot quicker than that for both parties." Liverpool were keen on Ben Arfa earlier in the season and a swap for Carroll may have appealed to Newcastle, who refused to entertain the striker's £17m asking price last summer and attempted to re-sign him on loan instead. But Liverpool were unimpressed by the 26-year-old France international following his return from a three-month injury lay-off in March and that avenue now appears closed to Carroll. Carroll scored seven goals in 24 league games for West Ham to earn a recall to the England squad for the friendlies against the Republic of Ireland and Brazil, a recall since postponed by a heel injury . As was the case last summer, Carroll has been told he does not feature in the Liverpool manager's long-term plans and Rodgers wants to invest the £15m fee and a salary in excess of £4m in new faces. Schalke's Greece international Kyriakos Papadopoulous is his main target to replace Jamie Carragher in central defence next season and Liverpool may have to pay more than £12m for a player targeted by several leading clubs. The Anfield club are also leading the chase for Barcelona's 16-year-old winger, Sergi Canos, who is also wanted by Arsenal and Manchester City. On his end-of-season talks with Carroll, the Liverpool manager said: "It's a difficult one. I spoke to him and we had a good chat. The boy is a talent. It's just something we need to assess between now and the end of window. In terms of the money, that's something out of my control. But he's a talent so we will assess the whole situation. The objective at the beginning of the season was for him to go out and play. He's gone away to think of what we spoke about and we will talk again through the weeks." In contrast to last summer, however, when Carroll joined West Ham shortly before the transfer deadline and Rodgers was unable to sign Clint Dempsey as a replacement, Liverpool want to resolve the striker's position quickly. Andy Carroll Liverpool Brendan Rodgers West Ham United Newcastle United Transfer window Andy Hunter guardian.co.uk © 2013 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds Liverpool's Andy Carroll, right, is reluctant to seen a permanent deal with West Ham and their manager, Sam Allardyce, left. Photograph: Clive Brunskill/Getty ImagesLiverpool's Andy Carroll is reluctant to sign a permanent deal with West Ham and their manager, Sam Allardyce. Photograph: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images
• Spurs chase Damião and Soldado
  • Scott Parker and Tom Huddlestone available for transfer • Gareth Bale ' very disappointed' to miss out on top four Tottenham Hotspur hope to demonstrate their ambition remains intact despite a failure to reach next season's Champions League by renewing their efforts to sign the Brazil forward Leandro Damião and seeking to pair him with Valencia's Spain international Roberto Soldado. The pursuit of both strikers, coupled with the confidence that Gareth Bale will sign new terms to remain at White Hart Lane for at least another season, would satisfy the manager, André Villas-Boas, who has called for the club to "raise the bar again" before next season. They missed out on the top four this time despite amassing an impressive 72 points. The Portuguese said in January that Leandro "fits the profile" of a potential recruit and attempts were made during the winter window to secure their long-standing target. Tottenham enjoy a close relationship with the 23-year-old's club, Internacional, whose president, Giovanni Luigi, suggested this month that Spurs had resumed dialogue over a move for a player who has 16 caps. A price of around £16m has been mooted, with the Brazilian club apparently now braced to lose the player to the Premier League. Securing his signature would represent something of a coup, though the desire to play him alongside Soldado is particularly eye-catching. The Spain forward, who would have commanded a fee close to £30m a year ago, has been watched by Spurs scouts this season as he has maintained his impressive form at the Mestalla. He could be available for nearer £20m should Valencia fail to qualify for the Champions League. The 27-year-old started his career with Real Madrid but after a productive spell at Getafe, has thrived at Valencia after joining as a replacement for David Villa. He has 27 goals in all competitions this season. Spurs had also expressed an interest in the Queens Park Rangers forward Loïc Rémy, though it remains to be seen if that will be maintained with the player on bail following his arrest on suspicion of rape, a claim he denies. The Spurs chairman, Daniel Levy, hopes to construct a team around Bale with the Wales international, who is happy to remain at White Hart Lane, expected to sign improved terms that will keep him at the club for next season at least. There will be a buy-out clause inserted which could lead to him moving abroad should an offer in excess of £50m be received next summer; though, by then, Tottenham hope they will have secured passage into Europe's elite competition. Bale, who scored his 26th club goal of the season in the 1-0 defeat of Sunderland on Sunday , has expressed his frustration at the club's failure to reach the Champions League. "It was obviously great to sign off with a great goal in the last minute, but circumstances made it hard to celebrate," he said. "To miss out on our objective [Champions League qualification] is very disappointing. It was great to get the win but the clouds just came over and made it a little bit duller, but it's something we have to learn from, we are a young squad, and we will take it into the future." Bale is due to play for Spurs against Jamaica in a friendly in the Bahamas on Thursday. There will be significant outgoings at Tottenham, too, with a number of senior players effectively available for transfer. Their number include the England internationals Scott Parker and Tom Huddlestone, as well as Emmanuel Adebayor, who managed only five league goals all season following his permanent move from Manchester City. William Gallas, 35, will leave under freedom of contract. Tottenham Hotspur Transfer window Dominic Fifield guardian.co.uk © 2013 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds Roberto Soldado has scored 27 goals for Valencia in all competitions this season. Photograph: Laurence Griffiths/Getty ImagesRoberto Soldado has scored 27 goals for Valencia in all competitions this season. Photograph: Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images
• Chelsea target Galatasaray's Yilmaz
  • Turkish champions value Yilmaz at more than £20m • Romelu Lukaku may be loaned out again by Chelsea Chelsea's pursuit of a striker to add to their forward options has led the reigning European champions and Europa League winners to lodge an inquiry with Galatasaray about the availability of their Turkey international Burak Yilmaz. Yilmaz, whose career has taken in spells at Besiktas, Fenerbahce and Trabzonspor, has enjoyed an impressive first year with Galatasaray and registered eight goals in this season's Champions League. That haul included a winner against Manchester United in November, a hat-trick in Cluj and goals in both legs of the knockout-round victory over Schalke. Chelsea, who should confirm the reappointment of José Mourinho as manager by the middle of next month, contacted Galatasaray to discover whether the 27-year-old was available. They were informed it would take a bid in excess of £20m to prise away the forward, who signed a four-year deal with an option for a further season when joining from Trabzonspor last summer. He had scored 33 goals in 34 league games for Trabzonspor the previous season. That fee may prove prohibitive for a player who has not played for a club outside Turkey, even if he comes highly regarded by the former Chelsea striker Didier Drogba, who is a team-mate at Galatasaray. Yet Chelsea's other options in the market appear relatively limited. Their long-standing target, Radamel Falcao, may yet opt for a move to Monaco, having indicated he will leave Atlético Madrid this summer, while Edinson Cavani is attracting interest from Manchester City. Robert Lewandowski, the prolific Borussia Dortmund forward, is expected to join Mario Götze at Bayern Munich after Saturday's Champions League final between the clubs. Chelsea are seeking another established forward to compete with Fernando Torres, Demba Ba and, possibly, Romelu Lukaku next season. The young Belgian may be loaned out again to a rival Premier League club who are competing in European competition – Swansea have been mooted – to gain further experience after a successful arrangement at West Bromwich Albion last season. Mourinho witnessed Yilmaz first-hand in the first leg of Real's Champions League quarter-final at the Bernabéu – the Turk was booked and missed the second leg through suspension – and will liaise with Chelsea's recruitment and scouting department over potential targets. Yilmaz, whose 24 league goals helped secure the Turkish league title, has indicated a willingness to stay in Istanbul, though the ultimate decision over his future would remain with Galatasaray. "I'm really happy here," he said this month. "I have a long-term contract here. If an offer is put on the table then it's the club's decision which will matter, not mine." Chelsea Galatasaray Dominic Fifield guardian.co.uk © 2013 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds Chelsea are interested in signing Galatasaray's Burak Yilmaz, who scored eight goals in this season's Champions League. Photograph: Ozan Kose/AFP/Getty ImagesChelsea are interested in signing Galatasaray's Burak Yilmaz, who scored eight goals in this season's Champions League. Photograph: Ozan Kose/AFP/Getty Images
• PSG lure Rooney with promise to match Old Trafford wages
  • French champions want to pair Rooney with Zlatan Ibrahimovic • Forward would need to be convinced of Ligue 1's quality Paris Saint-Germain have informed Wayne Rooney's representatives that they would be willing to match his current wages as they seek to convince the unsettled England striker to leave Manchester United for Parc des Princes. Rooney's future at Old Trafford has been in serious doubt since Sir Alex Ferguson, speaking immediately after his final home game in charge, suggested the forward had asked for a transfer after nine years with United. The incoming manager, David Moyes, is understood to want to retain the 27-year-old 's services but the player may now consider his relationship with the club and the supporters to be fractured beyond repair. PSG, who are braced to lose their title-winning manager, Carlo Ancelotti, to Real Madrid and will consider Rafael Benítez as a replacement, have sensed an opportunity to secure the England international and hope to pair him up front with Sweden's Zlatan Ibrahimovic next season. The French champions, who are backed by the money-flushed Qatar Investment Authority, made their interest in securing the player known last week and have indicated they would be prepared to match his salary, which amounts to about £300,000 a week. Rooney, whose wife Coleen gave birth to the couple's second boy, Klay Anthony , on Tuesday, is reluctant to move abroad, given his young family, and would need to be convinced of the overall quality of Ligue 1. But a move to Paris remains a possibility given the lack of other options on the table. PSG have prioritised the Englishman over Napoli's Edinson Cavani, who is a long-standing target for Manchester City, and believe he can still be persuaded to leave for France. Arsenal have also been mooted as a potential destination within the Premier League, though it seems unlikely they would be prepared to stretch to the player's financial demands. Neither City nor Chelsea are inclined, at present, to revive interest in the striker. Rooney had met Ferguson last month to discuss his prospects at United after the player was dismayed at falling behind Robin van Persie in the pecking order and his inability to earn regular selection in his preferred forward position. He felt the writing was on the wall from the moment he was dropped for the second leg of United's Champions League knockout tie with Real Madrid in March and expressed his concerns in the discussions. He apparently denies making a formal transfer request but the manager's comments, and the subsequent fallout, have left him concerned as to whether there is any way back at United, even under new management, given the damage inflicted by the suggestions he was keen to leave. United would still need to be convinced about selling Rooney, who has two years remaining on his contract – the usual point for renewing terms – and Moyes's input could yet prove key to determining the player's future. If the player cannot be convinced he can be rehabilitated at the club, the best course for him and the club could yet be for his sale to be sanctioned. United and Rooney's representatives could not be reached for comment. Wayne Rooney Paris Saint-Germain Manchester United Transfer window Dominic Fifield guardian.co.uk © 2013 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds Manchester United's Wayne Rooney, whose wife Coleen gave birth to the couple's second boy, Klay Anthony, this week, is reluctant to transfer abroad, given his young family. Photograph: Jason Cairnduff/Action ImagesManchester United's Wayne Rooney, whose wife Coleen gave birth to the couple's second boy, Klay Anthony, this week, is reluctant to transfer abroad, given his young family. Photograph: Jason Cairnduff/Action Images
• Burgeoning Bundesliga shows Premier League the way | David Conn
  With two teams in the Champions League final the Bundesliga's traditional ownership model is paying dividends Saturday's European Champions League final at Wembley marks a strange kind of celebration for the Football Association's 150th anniversary, with the triumphant arrival of two German clubs to compete for this highest prize. Bayern Munich's and Borussia Dortmund's accession to the final has dispelled the comforting English line of recent years, that Germany's insistently traditional football ways, their supporter-owned clubs, thousands of cheap tickets and home-developed young players, brought them little success in Europe. Talking in London in advance of the final, Christian Seifert, chief executive of the German Bundesliga, was duly modest, acknowledging his league's imperfections, particularly the concern over Bayern's dominance, but he acknowledged, overall: "Yes, we are proud that we have two teams in the final. We have the feeling that we did more things right than wrong in the last 10 years." Seifert paid his respects to the Premier League as "very exciting and interesting", although it was noticeable that the strengths he hailed were mainly financial: the English clubs' booming earnings, particularly from overseas TV rights. "It is a perfectly marketed product all over the world," he said, of the Premier League, whose 20 clubs will make around €1bn (£860m) more combined next season than the Bundesliga's 18. "It is the league with the most financial opportunities in Europe and we will never overtake them financially." Yet that financial disparity has not led the Bundesliga clubs to follow English football into selling up to single mega-rich owners, or pricing young adults out of the grounds. Repeatedly, the German clubs have reaffirmed their commitment to the now familiar rule which maintains democratic ownership by fans: that a majority control ("50% plus one"), must be held by members. "It is a question of philosophy and by far the majority want to stay with it," he said. There are exceptions, with Bayer Leverkusen and Wolfsburg historically owned by the Bayer and Volkswagen corporations. "Nobody loves a club more than the members, and this keeps supporters with that emotion close to the club. We think it gives clubs and the league stability too, because nobody can come overnight and buy a club." The control by supporters of even these two European giants — Bayern 82% owned by their 187,865 members; Dortmund with voting rights controlled by their 30,000 – links directly to the maintenance of ticket prices as low as €13 at Bayern and €11 at Dortmund in standing areas, and cheaply priced seating too. "This is about giving people who cannot afford the business seats the opportunity to come," says Seifert. "There is no rule requiring this; it is a feeling of the clubs, to have a mixture of society, the whole society, in our stadiums. "The democratic control by members also means that if management want to raise ticket prices, the members may say: we want different management." Christian Müller, the Bundesliga's former chief financial officer, now chief executive of Bundesliga 2 club Dynamo Dresden, recalls the commitment to member-ownership weakening 10 years ago when the league felt itself to be struggling in the Premier League's slipstream. The Bundesliga began then to increase the value of its TV deals, and from 2000 the clubs began to invest in youth academies after the German national team's failure in the European Championship. "The clubs realised to be successful is not only a question of money," Müller said. "The vast majority of people support the 50%+1 rule. Football is considered to be a public good, and people can be truly a part of it, by being members of a club." Bayern, without doubt one of Europe's mighty with €202m commercial income including booming corporate sponsorships, stormed their way to Wembley with a wage bill, a reported £140m in 2011-12, below that of Manchester City, United, Chelsea and Arsenal. Dortmund's wage bill was £68m for Jürgen Klopp's fine young squad, £134m less than City spent in 2011-12 and lower than seven Premier League clubs including Aston Villa. While Premier League clubs spent 67% of their huge income on wages, Seifert said the Bundesliga clubs spent only 38% of theirs on players' wages, despite their lower income. Seifert recognises the fear that Bayern's financial muscle, their €368m turnover almost double that of Dortmund's €189m, will dominate the Bundesliga, a concern deeper now Bayern have snapped up for next season Klopp's key midfielder Mario Götze, who will miss Saturday's final through injury . Uefa might consider how it distributes the Champions League income, Seifert argues, so as not to increase the gap, but he is cautious about putting the Bundesliga's own financial balance into question. For now, he prefers to argue that Bayern have had a spectacularly great season but that continued superiority is not established. "If Bayern win the league the next two seasons 20 points ahead, I would say yes, something should change." Aside from this growing concern over the Bundesliga's competitiveness, German football has come through self-doubt to a strength, including the national team, now illuminated for all of Europe. They grasped the growth in TV and commercial income while maintaining genuine clubs, owned by their supporter-members, not selling them to speculators, which is anathema to them. When Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund play their European final under the floodlights of Wembley, the English game, in its 150th year, might consider if the football gods are trying to send it a message. Champions League Bayern Munich Borussia Dortmund Bundesliga David Conn guardian.co.uk © 2013 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds Fans of Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund are to fill out Wembley on Saturday as the Bundesliga clubs battle for the Champions League. Photograph: ReutersFans of Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund are to fill out Wembley on Saturday as the Bundesliga clubs battle for the Champions League. Photograph: Reuters
• Roberto Martínez to decide Wigan future in 24 hours, says Dave Whelan
  • Wigan owner suggests Martínez has several options • Everton, Stoke and Málaga among the clubs linked The Wigan Athletic chairman, Dave Whelan, has said he expects Roberto Martínez to decide whether he is staying with the relegated FA Cup winners on Thursday. Martínez and Whelan met on Wednesday to discuss the club's plans following relegation from the Premier League, and the manager's uncertain future. The 39-year-old has been heavily linked with the manager's position at Everton following David Moyes's departure for Manchester United , while Stoke City and Málaga have also been mentioned as potential destinations as they prepare for life after Tony Pulis and Manuel Pellegrini respectively. Everton and Stoke say they have not yet made any approaches in their search for a new manager. Whelan, however, claims his manager has several options, including whether to attempt to guide Wigan back to the top flight next season. "Roberto wants 24 hours to think about what is going on," the Wigan chairman said. "Tomorrow is D-day." Martínez is under contract at the DW Stadium until 2014 and Whelan believes his manager's decision also rests on whether he wishes to continue with the club following relegation. He added: "I had a meeting with Roberto at noon today. It was a very constructive meeting where we discussed all kinds of things – winning the Cup, our relegation, our prospects for next season. "Roberto wants to speak to his wife, think about it, which I fully understand. We are going to meet tomorrow and Roberto is going to make his mind up whether he wants to continue his contract with Wigan or whether he wants to take up a new position elsewhere. There is a massive amount of loyalty between Roberto and myself. If he wants to stay, that is fantastic and I will be over the moon. But if he decides he wants to move on I will fully respect that and I will give him every bit of support I can." Everton are taking their time over a replacement for Moyes, and have denied reports in Portugal that Porto's coach, Vitor Pereira, has agreed a two-year deal at Goodison Park. Stoke have only just commenced their search having parted company with Pulis on Tuesday . Pulis issued a statement through the League Managers Association that lists the achievements from his "wonderful adventure" with Stoke but confirmed his disappointment at leaving after seven years. It read: "Peter [Coates, the owner], his family and I have enjoyed every inch of the journey; he has been truly a fantastic man to work with. Although I am disappointed, I do understand what he means when he says the board feels a need to take the club in a different direction. In leaving I am very proud of what we have all achieved." Roberto Martínez Wigan Athletic Andy Hunter guardian.co.uk © 2013 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds Roberto Martínez has been linked with Everton, who have denied they have agreed a deal with Porto's coach, Vitor Pereira. Photograph: Chris Brunskill/Getty ImagesRoberto Martínez has been linked with Everton, who have denied agreeing a deal with the Porto coach, Vitor Pereira. Photograph: Chris Brunskill/Getty Images
• Brian Greenhoff, former England defender, dies
  • Greenhoff played with brother Jimmy in 1977 FA Cup win • He won 18 England caps and played 271 games for United Brian Greenhoff, the former Manchester United, Leeds United and England defender has died, aged 60. Greenhoff made 271 appearances for the Red Devils and won 18 caps. Born in Barnsley, Greenhoff joined United as a youth player in 1968 and was part of the team that won the old second division title in 1975. Two seasons later he won the FA Cup, playing alongside his brother Jimmy in the Wembley triumph over Liverpool. Greenhoff subsequently moved to Leeds , where he stayed three years. He ended his career at Rochdale, where he was living after returning to England from Spain. A statement released to the Manchester Evening News by Greenhoff's family said: "We regret to inform of Brian's passing this morning, Wednesday 22nd May at the age of 60. "Brian was a proud and much loved brother, husband of Maureen, father of Paul, Brian and Peter, grandfather to Jack, James and Harry and will be sorely missed by his family, who he made very proud in his distinguished life and career." Manchester United Leeds United England guardian.co.uk © 2013 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds Brian Greenhoff has a scoring chance for Manchester United against Derby County. Photograph: Bob Thomas/Bob Thomas/Getty ImagesBrian Greenhoff has a scoring chance for Manchester United against Derby County. Photograph: Bob Thomas/Bob Thomas/Getty Images
• Bundesliga boss attacks Fifa decision to hold 2022 World Cup in Qatar
  • A summer World Cup in Qatar heat is impossible, says Seifert • 'The priority is the health of the players' The chief executive of the Bundesliga has issued an outspoken attack on Fifa's decision to hold the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, describing it as "hard, if not impossible" to play the tournament in the Arabian Gulf's fierce heat of summer. Speaking in London before Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund contest Saturday's Champions League final at Wembley, Christian Seifert said the Bundesliga and other leagues are "very upset" that they may have to reschedule their domestic competition to allow the World Cup to be played in the winter instead. He said moving the World Cup to winter could leave Fifa open to a legal challenge, because the countries which made bids for 2022 did so on the basis that it would be a summer tournament, and they could ask for a re-vote. "If you make a decision which is so far away from a sporting perspective, if it is so politically driven, it is wrong," Seifert said. "Maybe Fifa should change the claim [on its logo]: this is not 'For the good of the game.'" Recalling the successful World Cup in Germany in 2006, with its teeming fan zones and party atmosphere in public spaces and on the streets, Seifert said: "I am convinced it is hard, if not impossible, to play a World Cup in the summer in Qatar. In Germany it was a special atmosphere, but I doubt that could work in 48 degree heat. Summer in Qatar is not the right time. "The priority is the health of the players, and a decision was made here which ignores the health of the players." Seifert is already considering the implications of the leagues having to move their competitions to accommodate a winter World Cup in 2022, if it remains with Qatar. He said if it is moved to the winter, it would affect three seasons of league football, due to the need to negotiate a TV deal to cover the period. "I am not sure if legally it can be played in the winter; the lawyers will decide in the end if it has to go to a re-vote," Seifert said. "Talking to other leagues, I have the feeling they are very upset the decision was taken, that a four-week tournament will affect three years of leagues. This shows me Fifa as a body deciding what is good for the game, ignoring the day-to-day business of leagues." World Cup 2022 Bundesliga Fifa Football politics David Conn guardian.co.uk © 2013 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds The Bundesliga chief executive Christian Seifert said moving the 2022 World Cup to winter could leave Fifa open to a legal challenge. Photograph: Thomas Lohnes/DAPDThe Bundesliga chief executive Christian Seifert said moving the 2022 World Cup to winter could leave Fifa open to a legal challenge. Photograph: Thomas Lohnes/DAPD
• Retired Petrov takes coaching role at Villa
  • Former captain to work with club's academy • Petrov in remission after battle with acute leukaemia Aston Villa have confirmed their former captain Stiliyan Petrov will take up a new role as the assistant to the development coach, Gordon Cowans, at the club's academy. The 33-year-old Bulgarian announced his retirement earlier this month having spent over a year out of the first team, battling acute leukaemia. Petrov is in remission and has been charged with helping Cowans nurture Villa's future talent. "I'm very excited by this new challenge and I wish to thank the club and the manager, Paul Lambert, for giving me the opportunity to continue my association with Villa, which I have always regarded as a privilege," Petrov said. "I will study for my coaching badges over the coming months and I am looking forward very much to working with Gordon Cowans, someone I know and respect, a true Villa legend. "My hope is that I can assist Gordon through my own experience in the game and that I can help the young lads to progress, become better players and better human beings. There are important values that we have always stood for at the club and we will continue to do so. "As I have said several times recently, the club has been amazing with me, from the fans to the chairman, Randy Lerner, the chief executive, Paul Faulkner, the manager and the players, as well as staff at Bodymoor and Villa Park. The main thing for me, however, is that it is not for sentimental reasons that I will be taking up this role but because I have something to contribute and I really want to do this. "The manager allowed me to sit on the bench on Sunday at Wigan so that I could get some perspective from the coaching and management side. I travelled with the team and was able to see close-hand and from a new viewpoint just how the first team prepares for a game and the many elements during a game. I'm looking forward to imparting some of my knowledge and continuing to learn as I grow into the role." Aston Villa guardian.co.uk © 2013 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds Stiliyan Petrov. Photograph: Martin Rickett/PAStiliyan Petrov says it is a 'privilege' to continue working at Aston Villa. Photograph: Martin Rickett/PA
• Claudio Reyna hired by Manchester City to run new MLS franchise
  • Club's former captain given role at New York City FC • 'Claudio understands what NY soccer should mean' Claudio Reyna, the former United States international and Manchester City captain, has been appointed director of football at City's new MLS franchise, New York City FC. The Manchester club, in partnership with baseball's New York Yankees, announced on Tuesday they had bought a franchise to compete in Major League Soccer from 2015. The club has wasted little time in bringing in Reyna, who had a spell with City as a player between 2003-07, and also had stints at Rangers and Sunderland. Ferran Soriano, City's chief executive, said: "Finding the right person for this role and getting him in place from the start was a priority. The football culture of New York City FC will be built from this decision, and we believe Claudio is the man who uniquely understands what New York soccer should mean, and how it can benefit from the relationship with Manchester City FC." New York City FC Manchester City New York Yankees MLS US sports guardian.co.uk © 2013 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds Claudio Reyna, far left, poses alongside New York City dignitaries. Photograph: Mike Segar/Reuters
• Charting every result of his United stay
  Every result from the 1,500-match and 27-year era of Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United reign Chris Fenn Sir Alex Ferguson: 'He resonates at a frequency that we rarely encounter,' says Russell Brand Photograph: Phil Noble/Reuters
• The Fiver | Hipster-annoying hoofball tactics | Scott Murray
  Click here to have the Fiver sent to your inbox every weekday at 5pm, or if your usual copy has stopped arriving PULIS ACADEMY: CITY UNDER SIEGE When Tony Pulis arrived at Stoke City back in 2006, the club hadn't been in the top division for 22 years, and the team had long been used to doing stuff like shipping eight goals at home to Liverpool. Fast forward seven years, and the Potters have just completed five seasons in the Premier League on the bounce, their side now capable of giving former bullies like Liverpool a good old hearty slap, three goals to one, right across their affronted chops. Well done, Tones! That, ladies and gentlemen, is progress! But not all trends under Pulis have been as healthy. Reaching a first FA Cup final in 148 years of trying was all good and well at the time, but we've got a modern world going on over here now, and Pulis's shower have since spent a whopping 24 months and counting without once making it back to English football's big showpiece. Way to jettison momentum, loser! And if that's not outrageous, unacceptable, despicable and disgraceful enough, consider this: Stoke had 37 years' head start on Barcelona, yet have they won any European Cups? The indolent clowns haven't even done any tiki taka! Understandably, then, Pulis was last night sent skittering down the A50 on the bones of his jeggings, his trademark baseball cap sent whistling after him with a cry of "… and don't forget *that*." Pulis, of course, has famously never been relegated as a manager, which is easy to boast if you're Alex Ferguson or Pep Guardiola and in charge of a European behemoth, but a damn sight more impressive if your CV consists of Bournemouth, Gillingham, Bristol City, Portsmouth, Plymouth Argyle and that ungrateful lot. But innocent survival is no longer good enough if you employ basic hipster-annoying hoofball tactics – which admittedly doesn't sound too bad now we put it like that. So in an act of hubristic madness in no way destined to come back and give Stoke a huge boot in both glazed pots, club apparatchiks have briefed journalists to explain that they're hoping to take City in "a new direction". Given their departed boss comes with a cast-iron guarantee to keep small clubs up, it's a joke that writes itself, is that. So the Fiver won't bother. Rafael Benítez, famous for producing pragmatic teams but with an added dash of élan, has been installed as the bookies' favourite to replace Pulis, and take Stoke on their inexorable journey to the Fifa World Club Cup. And yet, is he the right man? After all, if he's not good enough for reigning European and Europa champions Chelsea, why should he be good enough for Stoke? Who won the 1972 League Cup anyway? QUOTE OF THE DAY "We are really happy that Fifa recognises it's warm in the summer in Qatar. This is a great, great finding … I'm not sure of the credibility of Fifa" – Bundesliga chief suit Christian Seifert sticks Das Boot in to Fifa for choosing Qatar to host the 2022 World Cup and belatedly stating that the summer heat would be an issue. FIVER LETTERS "Many macroeconomists have been concerned about the productivity puzzle in the UK, with employment rising but output flatlining over the past two years. Some have attributed this to the rise of part-time work and self-employment. However, I suspect it is actually that we have people at work coming up with things like this " – Noble Francis. "Re: Wembley not allowing Borussia Dortmund's mosaic banner in for Big Cup final this weekend (yesterday's Fiver letters). If the fans want to create atmosphere they should call Gus Poyet – he has a load of unwanted cardboard clappers that have only been used once" – Alistair Drummond. "Fantastic presentation from Jonathan Wilson on the age of super clubs in Europe ( yesterday's Still Want More? ). Next time can we have some pivot tables please, and graphs all embedded in a PowerPoint presentation?" – Tony Clewes. • Send your letters to the.boss@guardian.co.uk . Also, if you've nothing better to do you can also tweet the Fiver . Today's winner of our prizeless letter o' the day prize is: Noble Francis. JOIN GUARDIAN SOULMATES We keep trying to point out the utter futility of advertising an online dating service "for interesting people" in the Fiver to the naive folk who run Guardian Soulmates, but they still aren't having any of it. So here you go – sign up here to view profiles of the kind of erudite, sociable and friendly romantics who would never dream of going out with you. BITS AND BOBS Borussia Dortmund/Bayern Munich midfielder Mario Götze has diplomatically been ruled out of Big Cup final by knack . West Ham have agreed a £15m fee with Liverpool for Andy Carroll , but are struggling to convince him to join. One possibly in, one out, as Carlton Cole is set to do one ( hello, Carlton ). "Carlton Cole/CFC as I have been called has left the building #UNDERCHUFFED," he tweeted, as you do. Next Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini has confirmed he'll leave Málaga in the summer. "My coaching staff and I are separating from Málaga but our union with this city will be eternal," he parped. Meanwhile, having tied up a deal for a new MLS franchise , the MC Yankees have appointed Claudio Reyna as director of football. And Phil Neville fancies a slice of the vacant Everton manager's job. "We have to go back towards more English coaches," he lobbied . STILL WANT MORE? With growing discord at Sunderland and within the Conservative party, perhaps a Trading Places-style job swap would be in order for Paolo Di Canio, suggests Marina Hyde . David Lacey kicks off our six-part series of the great European Cup teams, with Real Madrid 1955-60 , while Jonathan Wilson snubs the pivot tables to remember Ajax 1971-73 . Tin-hat time as we revisit Big Website's Premier League pre-season predictions … And Paul Lambert tells David Hytner what it was like winning Big Cup and becoming a Borussia Dortmund legend . SIGN UP TO THE FIVER Want your very own copy of our free tea-timely(ish) email sent direct to your inbox? Has your regular copy stopped arriving? Click here to sign up . MICK McMANUS RIP Scott Murray guardian.co.uk © 2013 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds Tony Pulis. Photograph: Dave Thompson/PATony Pulis and a sad cap. Photograph: Dave Thompson/PA
• Messi approves of Barcelona signing Neymar - video
  Striker Lionel Messi comments on reports that Brazilian striker Neymar has agreed to join Barcelona on 1 July Messi approves of Barcelona signing Neymar - video Photograph: Karim Jaafar/AFP/Getty Images
• The great European Cup teams: Ajax 1971-73 | Jonathan Wilson
  In the second of our six-part series, we remember the revolutionary Ajax team created by Rinus Michels, and the Total Football that won them three successive European Cups It's difficult now, given the city's reputation for liberalism and excess to imagine Amsterdam in the years following the second world war. It was a dull, staid place where, as Albert Camus wrote in the Fall, published in 1955, "for centuries, pipe smokers have been watching the same rain falling on the same canal". Yet within a decade it had become the heart of the youth revolution and had begun to nurture revolutionary ideas. Among them was Ajax, a football team that if not the greatest there has ever been, was almost certainly the most influential. Speak to Arsène Wenger or Arrigo Sacchi, Marcelo Bielsa or Pep Guardiola, and all, to an extent, have drawn their philosophies from the team created by Rinus Michels. Dutch football in the time Camus was writing of was dismal. The national side won only two of 27 internationals between June 1949 and April 1955 but the coming of professionalism in 1954 provided a stimulus. It was a culture with few preconceptions and little to lose; it was open to change. Ajax's revolution was the development of pressing – independent from and simultaneous with the same process being enacted under Viktor Maslov at Dynamo Kyiv. It's a style of play that requires great physical preparedness – it would have been impossible in an amateur context. By the time of Michels, not only was professionalism established, but the shortages of the war years were over, nutrition was good and sports science (both legal and illicit) had advanced sufficiently that players could keep running for 90 minutes. The seeds of Ajax's development had been sown by Jack Reynolds, who had played for Grimsby, Sheffield Wednesday and Watford before moving to Switzerland in 1912. He had three stints as coach of Ajax, the last of them immediately after the war, which he spent interned in a camp at Tost, where PG Wodehouse was also detained. Reynolds believed in attacking, passing football and ensured all levels of the club played in the same style. One of his pupils was Michels. It was only in 1959 with the appointment of Vic Buckingham, schooled in the best passing traditions by Peter McWilliam at Tottenham, that the seeds began to sprout. Six years later, he was succeeded by Michels, who led Ajax to the title in his first season. That this might have more than local significance was demonstrated the following season as they thrashed Liverpool 5-1 in the European Cup. Still the style was developing. Michels had changed the shape to 4-2-4 and encouraged a passing, possession-based game, but there was no sense of systematised pressing at that stage. There was, though, a radicalism in the air. Amsterdam in the 1960s was, as the British anarchist Charles Radcliffe put it, "the capital of the youth rebellion". Provos, dressed all in white, staged anti-consumerist demonstrations and art became increasingly avant garde. The key moment came in 1966 with the wedding of Princess Beatrix to Claus von Amsberg, a German aristocrat who had served in the Wehrmacht. Police set about protestors demonstrating against their marriage with batons, prompting such revulsion that tolerance became official policy. Within a couple of years Dam Square had become a camp for foreign hippies and the Amsterdam police had a reputation as the most easy-going in Europe. It is no coincidence that it was at the Amsterdam Hilton in 1969 that John Lennon and Yoko Ono celebrated their marriage with a week-long bed-in. Perhaps there were no direct links between the Provos and Ajax but the football of Ajax developed in an age when questioning the orthodoxy was the norm; everything could be challenged. Johan Cruyff became an icon of the burgeoning Dutch youth movement of the time. In 1997, in a piece in Hard Gras magazine marking Cruyff's 50th birthday, the journalist Hubert Smeets wrote that: "Cruyff was the first player who understood that he was an artist, and the first who was able and willing to collectivise the art of sports". In a piece in issue three of the Blizzard , Simon Kuper and David Winner argue that Ajax played the same role in the Netherlands as the Beatles played in England. "The Dutch," Smeets went on, "are at their best when they can combine the system with individual creativity. Johan Cruyff is the main representative of that. He made this country after the war. I think he was the only one who understood the sixties." That notion of individuality within a system, as David Winner argues in Brilliant Orange, was characteristic of the Netherlands at the time. Indeed, the prefix "totaal", first attached to football after the performances of the national team at the 1974 World Cup, was used across a range of disciplines to express that relationship between individual and system. The architectural theorist JB Bakema, who wrote for the influential Forum magazine, spoke of Total Urbanisation, Total Environment and Total Energy. "To understand things," he said in a lecture given in 1974, "you have to understand the relationship between things … Once the highest image of interrelationship in society was indicated by the word God; and man was allowed to use earth and universal space under condition that he should care for what he used. But we have to actualise this kind of care and respect since man came by his awareness nearer the phenomenon of interrelationship called the relation of atoms. Man became aware of his being part of a total energy system." After beating Liverpool in 1966-67, Ajax lost to Dukla Prague in the quarter-final, something that prompted Michels to reshape his defence, bringing in the tough Serbian sweeper Velibor Vasovic from Partizan. Ajax won the league four times between 1966 and 1970, and also lost in the final of the European Cup to Milan in 1969. It was that achievement that captured the imagination of the Dutch public, with over 40,000 travelling to Paris to watch a play-off against Benfica after Ajax had overcome a 3-1 deficit from the home leg to draw 4-4 on aggregate in the quarter-final. "I played the last man in defence, the libero," said Vasovic. "Michels made this plan to play very offensive football. We discussed it. I was the architect, together with Michels, of the aggressive way of defending." The pressing aspect stemmed largely from Johan Neeskens's aggression. He was usually deputed to pick up the opposing playmaker and the coach Bobby Haarms described him as being "like a kamikaze pilot" as he pursued him, often deep into opposition territory. At first other Ajax players hung back, but by the early 1970s they had become used to following him. That meant they were playing a very high defensive line, squeezing the space in which the opposition had to play. That was risky, but Vasovic was adept at stepping out to catch opposing forwards offside. Vasovic was a rarity. Most of the side had grown up together through the academy and so became capable of what Buckingham called "habit football", instinctively knowing where their team-mates would be. The intermovement of Ajax was to a large extent organic. "When I saw [Wim] Suurbier going forward, I knew I had to go back," Sjaak Swart said. 'I didn't have to be told. And after two years everybody knew what to do." That is not, though, to downplay the role of Michels, who oversaw and encouraged the intermovement, particularly as teams began to play with massed defences against Ajax. "I tried to find guidelines that meant we could surprise a little those walls," he said. "I had to let midfield players and defensive players participate in the building up and in the attacking. It's easy to say, but it's a long way to go because the most difficult thing is not to teach a full-back to participate in attacking – because he likes that – but to find somebody else who is covering up. In the end, when you see they have the mobility, the positional game of such a team makes everyone think: 'I can participate too. It's very easy'. And then you have reached the top, the paramount of the development." Shifting from 4-2-4 to 4-3-3 made that switching of positions rather easier to structure, because it tended to happen either down one flank or down the middle. So Suurbier, Arie Haan and Swart interchanged on the right; Vasovic (or later Horst Blankenburg or Barry Hulshoff), Neeskens and Cruyff down the middle; and Ruud Krol, Gerrie Mühren and Piet Keizer on the left. "People couldn't see that sometimes we just did things automatically," said Hulshoff. "It comes from playing a long time together. Football is best when it's instinctive. This way of playing, we grew into it. Total Football means that a player in attack can play in defence – only that he can do this, that is all. You make space, you come into space. And if the ball doesn't come, you leave this space and another player will come into it." The tangible evidence that Ajax had reached the "paramount of development" came in 1971 as they beat Panathinaikos in the European Cup final, following up the success of Feyenoord a year before to mark the Netherlands as the new centre of European football. Michels left for Barcelona after that, and Ajax turned to the avuncular Romanian Stefan Kovacs. He relaxed the reins, and it was under him that Ajax probably played their best football, attacking with greater freedom than Michels had ever allowed them. "Kovacs was a good coach," Mühren said, "but he was too nice. Michels was more professional. He was very strict, with everyone on the same level. In the first year with Kovacs we played even better because we were good players who had been given freedom. But after that the discipline went and it was all over. We didn't have the same spirit. We could have been champions of Europe forever if we'd stayed together." Certainly it was in 1971-72 that Ajax were at their most fluent, as Kovacs replaced Vasovic with Blankenburg and encouraged him, Suurbier and Krol to advance, safe in the knowledge that Neeskens, Haan and Mühren could drop in to cover. Vasovic himself always insisted Kovacs's impact was minimal. "Those who say Total Football started with Kovacs are wrong," he said shortly before his death in 2002. "Kovacs had nothing to do with it. He simply took over a very good team, the champions of Europe, and let them continue the way they had already been playing." Such were the doubts about Kovacs that only a player revolt saved him from the sack in April 1972, shortly after a goalless draw at Benfica had confirmed their progress to a second successive European Cup final. At the time, Ajax were five points clear in the league, had just hammered Feyenoord 5-1 in Rotterdam and had reached the Dutch Cup final. "The results show that Kovacs was not wrong," Cruyff said. "Our team was ready to take part in making decisions." They went on to beat Internazionale 2-0 in the final. "Ajax proved that creative attack is the real lifeblood of the game," the report in the Times read the following morning, "that blanket defence can be outwitted and outmanoeuvred, and by doing so they made the outlines of the night a little sharper and the shadows a little brighter." The following year, by winning the European Cup again, Ajax became the first side since Real Madrid to complete a hat-trick of titles. Appropriately, having hammered Bayern Munich 4-0 in the first leg of the quarter-final, it was Real Madrid whom Ajax beat in the semi. The aggregate score of 3-1 barely did justice to their superiority, and the tie is better remembered for Mühren's keepie-ups in the second leg at the Bernabéu, a moment of arrogance and joie de vivre that encapsulated the ethos of Kovacs's Ajax. "I knew I was going to give the ball to Krol, but I needed some time until he reached me," Mühren recalled. "So I juggled until he arrived. You can't plan to do something like that. You don't think about that. You just do it. It was the moment when Ajax and Real Madrid changed positions. Before then it was always the big Real Madrid and the little Ajax. When they saw me doing that, the balance changed. The Real Madrid players were looking. They nearly applauded. The stadium was standing up. It was the moment Ajax took over." In Belgrade in the final, they beat Juventus 1-0, but it was as emphatic as a one-goal victory can be as, having taken a fourth-minute lead, Ajax taunted the Italians with long strings of passes – what we might today think of as sterile domination but at the time seemed a thrilling daring way of humiliating beaten opponents. But that was the end. Freedom became decadence and at the end of the season, in circumstances that have never been fully explained, Cruyff lost the vote to be captain. He went to join Michels at Barcelona, and it wouldn't be until he returned as coach over a decade later than Ajax again won a European trophy. Ajax Champions League European club football Jonathan Wilson guardian.co.uk © 2013 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds Ajax European Cup Final 1971. Photograph: PA Archive/Press Association ImaAjax's victory in the 1971 European Cup final against Panathinaikos marked the Netherlands as the new centre of European football. Photograph: PA Archive/Press Association Ima
• Premier League's managerial shift may bring end to patience as a virtue | Paul Wilson
  Will Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement and Tony Pulis's sacking force a shift towards a continental model for management? There's something odd going on with football managers at the moment, isn't there? No sooner does Tony Pulis become the second-longest serving Premier League manager after Arsène Wenger, than the rug is pulled from under him too , leaving Alan Pardew as the next best example of managerial stability outside the Emirates. Another stat has just been produced to the effect that 56 managers left their jobs during or at the end of the 2012-13 season. There are only 92 teams in the league, for goodness sake, though when you consider that Blackburn Rovers were responsible for three of those departures and Chelsea two the overall picture is not quite as hectic as it might first appear. Having said that, the overall picture is not yet fixed and printed. It seems certain there will be other managerial moves in the near future, with Roberto Martínez and Gus Poyet likely to call time on their present positions, and with vacancies at three of the top six Premier League clubs at present, plus Stoke City, it is possible apparently settled managers such as Michael Laudrup, Malky Mackay or Steve Clarke will be invited to move upwards. This is not normal, and it appears Sir Alex Ferguson finally stepping down at Manchester United is having the same effect on teams below him as the moon does on the tides. If United are making a change, it must be time for everyone else to consider their options too. Except that you only have to look at the top of the Premier League to know that is not really the case. Rafa Benítez was announced as interim manager at Chelsea the day he walked in, meaning the club knew from the start it would be making another change at the end of the season, while Roberto Mancini's days were probably numbered at Manchester City from the moment the club decided to appoint Txiki Begiristain and Ferran Soriano as technical director and chief executive. Mancini would doubtless have survived had his players reproduced the football of the 2011-12 season and won another title or cut a dash in the Champions League, but they didn't, and despite the Italian's popularity with fans the club's hierarchy clearly intend to be more hard-nosed about pursuing success than the City of old. That in itself is revealing, because while the English way would normally have been to put up with a reasonably successful manager for as long as the fans were willing to put up with him, City deliberately looked to a foreign model, specifically Spain, to sharpen up their football operation. Broadly speaking, the norm on the continent is not to have managers who stay in their job for decades and control every aspect of their club, but to have presidents or politicians in charge of hiring coaches every two or three seasons, depending upon the level of success. Whether this is a good or a bad thing is a matter of debate, and it is possible to see advantages in both approaches. Howard Wilkinson said back in his days with the FA that there was nothing wrong with the continental system and this country should learn to embrace it. Changing coaches on a regular basis prevents players and fans getting bored with the same formula every week – see Stoke – and there is not the same sense of failure when a coach comes to the end of his contract and moves on to another club. Good coaches will tend to move upwards, lesser ones will stand still or drop out, but with a high proportion of clubs making changes each close season there are plenty of employment opportunities and a healthy circulation of fresh ideas. Against that, Manchester United have spent the last quarter of a century advertising the advantages of an English system that aims for continuity, and appear to have made an appointment for the next decade or more in David Moyes. If you can crack longevity and keep winning things, you can simplify a lot of the day-to-day strife at a football club, though there are plenty of Arsenal fans who will tell you that longevity without winning things is not nearly so much fun. Everton were in the same boat under Moyes, though having never got used to silverware most years or going through an entire campaign unbeaten, their fans never felt quite as dissatisfied or restless as Arsenal's with a long succession of fallow seasons. At its best, the English system works, though at a cost lower down the scale. If your models of managerial success are based on what Ferguson or Wenger achieved over many years, or, going further back, what Bill Shankly, Bob Paisley, Brian Clough or Sir Matt Busby did for their respective clubs, almost everyone else is doomed to failure. The bar is set too high. Most managers will not stay in their jobs for more than three or four years, in fact many will be shown the door long before that – see Blackburn – but whereas that is considered normal on the continent, in this country a manager will do well to make a career for himself once he starts to have more clubs on his CV than medals. It is entirely logical for English football to follow the European pattern rather than sticking to its own style, because its top two divisions recruit most of their playing and managerial talent from abroad anyway. United and Arsenal are sticking to what they know best, but we will see how that goes in the next couple of seasons. There are no guarantees. In the future it may be unfashionable to stay at a club as long as Moyes did at Everton or Pulis at Stoke, but at least they improved their clubs, as did Benítez at Chelsea and Mancini at City. That is success of a sort, as is Martínez guiding Wigan to the most unlikely of FA Cup upsets. Did Martínez improve Wigan in his four-year stay? The league table says no. The trophy cabinet – once Wigan get one installed – says he didn't do too badly. Premier League Manchester United Stoke City Everton Chelsea Manchester City Paul Wilson guardian.co.uk © 2013 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds Tony Pulis. Photograph: Dave Thompson/PATony Pulis's departure from Stoke means Alan Pardew is now the second-longest serving manager in the Premier League. Photograph: Dave Thompson/PA
• Nelly the elephant predicts Bayern Munich to win Champions League – video
  Serengeti Park in Germany is home to Nelly, an elephant whose owners claim has the ability to predict the results of football matches Nelly the elephant predicts Bayern Munich to win Champions League - video Photograph: Reuters
• Götze ruled out of Wembley final
  • Dortmund midfielder to miss out against his future club Bayern • Hamstring problem flares up in training session The Borussia Dortmund playmaker Mario Götze has been ruled out of this weekend's Champions League final against his future club Bayern Munich. Götze injured his hamstring in the second leg of Dortmund's semi-final against Real Madrid and has been striving to be fit for Saturday's final at Wembley. But the 20-year-old, who caused consternation at Dortmund after agreeing a €37m summer move to their rivals , had to curtail a training session after aggravating the injury. "Mario has felt something again in his hamstring," the Dortmund general manager, Michael Zorc, told Bild . "That is why he stopped. We don't know how bad it is and whether he is still suffering from it." Götze told Dortmund's website: "The final was my big goal and in the past weeks I have battled hard for it. I am unbelievably sorry that I will not be able to help the team in this important match. I have huge belief in our team and will naturally travel with them to London to endeavour to support the lads off the pitch." Götze, who scored 19 goals for his club this season, is not the only injury concern for Dortmund, with the defender Mats Hummels, a 2008 signing from Bayern, carrying an ankle injury. Hummels, however, told Bild he was confident of making the final. "Nothing is torn so it is not as bad as first feared," Hummels said. "I'm confident I'll be ready for the final." Götze's absence is a huge blow to Jürgen Klopp's side's mission to upset the odds against the Bundesliga champions in London. The Germany international was, along with Marco Reus and Robert Lewandowski, part of perhaps the most feared attacking triumvirate in European football this season and integral to Dortmund's attacking style. Kevin Grosskreutz was the man who replaced Götze at the Bernabéu and would appear to be the most likely candidate to stand in for him at Wembley. Borussia Dortmund Bayern Munich Champions League European club football guardian.co.uk © 2013 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds Mario Gotze will not face his new club Bayern Munich at Wembley on Saturday after suffering a setback in his recovery from an ankle injury. Photograph: David Ramos/Getty ImagesMario Götze will not face his future employers Bayern Munich at Wembley on Saturday after suffering a setback in his recovery from a hamstring injury. Photograph: David Ramos/Getty Images
• Gareth Bale 'very disappointed' by Tottenham's Champions League failure
  • Bale speaks after winning club's player of the year award • Welshman still expected to stay at Spurs next season Gareth Bale has admitted he found Tottenham Hotspur's latest failure to qualify for the Champions League hard to stomach. Bale rounded off a remarkable season on Sunday by scoring his 26th goal of the campaign , but his winner against Sunderland was not enough to earn the club Champions League qualification. The 23-year-old lit up the competition three seasons ago, starring in the club's run to the quarter-finals, which saw them beat both Milan sides before losing to Real Madrid. And having enjoyed such a successful season personally, the Welshman conceded that he was disappointed to miss out on another shot at European glory. "It was great to sign off with a great goal in the last minute, but circumstances made it hard to celebrate," Bale said after picking up the Tottenham player of the season award. "To play the way we have also but to miss out on our objective [Champions League qualification] is very disappointing." Bale will play his last match of the season on Thursday when Tottenham meet the Jamaica national team in a friendly in the Bahamas. Bale will discuss his future with Spurs over the coming weeks. The club are understandably desperate to hold on to their best player and the manager, André Villas-Boas, recently called on the forward to end speculation about his future by signing a new deal at White Hart Lane. For now, the signs look promising for Tottenham. Bale is understood to have agreed an improved £150,000-a-week deal in principle to stay at White Hart Lane , and from his comments after the victory over Sunderland, he seemed in no mood to leave. "We fought hard this season, the team and the manager have been great," Bale said. "We have got the record points for the club in the Premier League. That would normally be enough to qualify for the Champions League, but it's not meant to be again. It's disappointing, but we will pick ourselves up again. We will just have to regroup and give it another go." Villas-Boas is keen to build his team around Bale next season, and stressed that significant investment was required to bridge the small gap between themselves and Arsenal. Leandro Damião, Christian Eriksen, Christian Benteke and Heung-Min Son have been mentioned as possible targets. Bale thinks the foundations are there for Spurs to have a successful 2013-14 season, adding: "It was great to get the win but the clouds just came over and made it a little bit duller, but it's something we have to learn from, we are a young squad, and we will take it in to the future." Gareth Bale Tottenham Hotspur guardian.co.uk © 2013 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds Gareth Bale said that his 26 goals did not ease the disappointment of Tottenham's failure to qualify for the Champions League. Photograph: Shaun Botterill/Getty ImagesGareth Bale said that his 26 goals did not ease the disappointment of Tottenham's failure to qualify for the Champions League. Photograph: Shaun Botterill/Getty Images
• Pellegrini set to complete City move
  • Pellegrini heavily tipped to replace Roberto Mancini at City • 'I am going because of a sporting project,' says Chilean Manuel Pellegrini has cleared the way for a move to Manchester City by announcing he is to leave Málaga at the end of the Spanish league season. The Chilean coach has been lined up to replace Roberto Mancini by City's chief executive, Ferran Soriano, and sporting director, Txiki Begiristain, with his appointment due to be ratified early next month. Málaga have two league fixtures to play, at home to Deportivo La Coruña on Sunday and away at Barcelona, who have also been linked with Pellegrini, on 1 June. At a function to mark his successful tenure as Málaga coach the 59-year-old confirmed they will be his last with the club. "Professionally, I am living my last hours in Málaga," said Pellegrini. "On Sunday I will manage my last game as Málaga coach at La Rosaleda. It will be a very emotional occasion and we hope to leave with the club qualified for Europe, with the mission completed and with the misfortune that the project changed. The agreement with the club has been gratifying and satisfactory. Everyone has the right to continue on their own path. I am not leaving because of financial ambition but because of a sporting project that will allow me to feel fulfilled." Soriano explained why City decided to dispense with Mancini. "We want to play better football and we want to continue winning," he told CNN. "It is not that Mancini did anything wrong. We are just in another cycle, in another era. "We are looking to play very good football, very beautiful football. When we are playing good football, then we will win. "So it is not only about winning; it is developing football that is attractive and it will be played by our main teams, our first team in Manchester, our young teams in Manchester and also our teams in New York. We want to share the same football concepts across all our teams." Pellegrini has been in charge at Málaga since November 2010, guiding the club to their highest league finish and Champions League qualification for the first time last season. Financial problems led to the departure of several key players last summer and a two-year suspension from European competition was imposed in December, although the second season was lifted on Wednesday after Málaga showed they had no outstanding debt. Despite the turmoil Pellegrini led Málaga to the quarter-finals of the Champions League this season, missing out on a place in the semi-finals because of a controversial stoppage-time goal for Borussia Dortmund, and the team are currently sixth in La Liga. He took Villarreal to a Champions League semi-final in 2006, overseeing a remarkable success story during his five seasons with the small-town club, but lasted only one season with Real Madrid after finishing runners-up to Barcelona in 2009‑10. Brian Kidd, one of Mancini's assistants, is in charge of City on their post-season trip to the US but six members of the former manager's substantial backroom team have followed him out since the FA Cup final defeat to Wigan, including David Platt and Attilio Lombardo. City's midfielder Samir Nasri, who was openly criticised by Mancini last season, has welcomed the anticipated arrival of Pellegrini. "I think he is a great manager," Nasri said. "He proved himself at Villarreal and Real Madrid as well, even if he didn't win the title, but he finished with 96 points. And with Málaga as well. All his teams play attractive football. I think that is what people want to see. You pay [for your] ticket to go to football to see something great and he is the kind of manager who can do it so we will see what can happen in the summer." Pellegrini could be followed to City by Málaga's attacking midfielder Isco, reportedly the subject of a £17m bid by City. Real Madrid held talks with Málaga and the 21-year-old player's family on Wednesday with a view to signing him but have not met the €35m (£30m) buy-out clause. There has been previous interest from Monaco and City, and Pellegrini is known to be a big admirer of a player he has coached for the past two seasons. Manuel Pellegrini Málaga Manchester City European club football Andy Hunter guardian.co.uk © 2013 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds Manuel Pellegrini, tipped to replace Roberto Mancini at Manchester City, confirmed he will leave Malaga. Photograph: Denis Doyle/Getty ImagesManuel Pellegrini, tipped to replace Roberto Mancini at Manchester City, confirmed he will leave Málaga. Photograph: Denis Doyle/Getty Images
• Derby fancy Telescope fails to impress in Lingfield racecourse gallop
  • Trainer describes colt's below-par display as workmanlike • Newmarket Saturday workout now crucial for Epsom bid Telescope, the leading British hope for the Derby, failed to impress in a racecourse gallop at Lingfield on Wednesday ahead of a possible bid for the Epsom Classic a week on Saturday. The Sir Michael Stoute-trained colt was pushed out to 8-1 by the bookmaker Coral after he struggled home ahead of two stable companions in a seven-furlong workout. Stoute described the performance as "workmanlike" and has delayed a decision on whether his charge will run in the Derby until after a gallop at his Newmarket base on Saturday. Stoute said afterwards: "We felt it was more of workmanlike display. He's worked with these horses this spring and has been more impressive than that. I felt that he didn't really switch off – even cantering down he was just taking a bit of a tug. "Hopefully it will do him the power of good to get back to the racecourse as it's been a long time. We will see what today has done for him, mentally more than anything else. We'll work him on Saturday and chat again." The Highclere Thoroughbred Racing-owned three-year-old, whose ownership syndicate contains the recently retired Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, worked alongside his stablemates Commend and the 95-rated Opinion. Commend made the early running, with Opinion in second and the Ryan Moore-ridden Telescope at the rear. Telescope was very keen to get on with it from the outset, however, and was very headstrong before he galloped to the front two furlongs from home and crossed the line ahead of Opinion, who appeared to be going better than his high-profile stablemate. Telescope, whose tongue lolled from his mouth throughout the gallop and who sweated up after returning, was forced to miss his intended reappearance in last week's Dante Stakes at York after grazes he sustained on his legs became infected. Highclere's racing manager Harry Herbert was, like Stoute, also slightly downbeat. He said: "Anyone watching that, especially those who have seen the horse work in the spring, would say he lacked that usual zip. He hasn't put in a performance that was as good as had been hoped. "I suspect this is a combination of tongue-over-bit and freshness. Workmanlike is the right word for it. Ryan said it wasn't as good as he'd hoped. The final piece of work on Saturday is obviously going to be critical. "The clock is ticking. We will see what his piece of work is like on Saturday before deciding whether to go all-out for Epsom or not. While this may have been disappointing, I suspect there might have been a reason for it. No horse is going to work properly with the tongue over the bit – hopefully we'll see the real Telescope on Saturday and the dream will still be alive." The Derby Ryan Moore Sir Michael Stoute Sir Alex Ferguson Horse racing Tony Paley guardian.co.uk © 2013 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds A decision on whether Telescope, right, will run in the Derby will be made on Saturday following a disappointing gallop at Lingfield on Wednesday. Photograph: Steve Parsons/PAA decision on whether Telescope, right, will run in the Derby will be made on Saturday following a disappointing gallop, above, at Lingfield on Wednesday. Photograph: Steve Parsons/PA
• Chelsea's three England players to leave United States tour early
  • Gary Cahill, Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole to return Friday • England play Republic of Ireland at home and Brazil away England players will leave the post-season United States tour after the first of two friendlies with Manchester City. Frank Lampard, Ashley Cole and Gary Cahill travelled to St Louis on Monday with Rafael Benítez's Europa League-winning squad and will be available for Thursday's friendly with City before returning to London to join up with England. Cahill said: "We will train for the next couple of days and will be involved in the game on Thursday and then fly back on Friday." The United States trip, which features a second friendly with City on Saturday in New York, comes at the end of Chelsea's 69-match season which saw them finish third in the Premier League. England face the Republic of Ireland on Wednesday at Wembley and play in Brazil four days later. "It's not stopped yet," added Cahill, who was absent for England duty in March with a knee injury. "I finish totally on 3 June, I think. I'm looking forward to the internationals because I missed the last ones with injury, but then looking forward to a rest at the end of what's been a long season." Cahill reflected on a successful end to another tumultuous season at Stamford Bridge. "I think you have to say we finished strongly," he said. "We got the third position we were aiming for and achieved what we wanted there, and we finished with a trophy. We had ups and downs but like last year we finished well and we can be pleased. You've got to judge it by where you are in the league at certain stages. "At three-quarters of the way we were looking for third and we managed to achieve that. After we went out of the FA Cup we had one trophy left and it was important to pick up some silverware." Benítez's final match in charge is the New York meeting with City, before Chelsea appoint a new manager, with the departing Real Madrid head coach José Mourinho expected to return to Stamford Bridge. Frank Lampard Ashley Cole Chelsea England guardian.co.uk © 2013 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds Gary Cahill confirmed that Chelsea's England players will leave the club's US tour early and join the international squad. Photograph: Mike Hewitt/Getty ImagesGary Cahill confirmed that Chelsea's England players will leave the club's US tour early and join the international squad. Photograph: Mike Hewitt/Getty Images
• Uefa lifts one year of Málaga's European club competition ban
  • Side will still miss next season's Europa League if they qualify • Qatari-owned club had been sanctioned for unpaid bills Uefa has confirmed Málaga have had the second year of their European ban lifted but the Champions League quarter-finalists will still be barred from playing in continental competition next season should they qualify. Uefa's financial control body met in Nyon on Wednesday to discuss the cases of eight clubs who had been handed sanctions last year relating to their financial affairs. Málaga were by far the most high-profile casualty when they were handed a two-year ban, with one year suspended, and fined €300,000 due to unpaid bills, and had taken their appeal to the court of arbitration for sport. The club said on Thursday last week that the second year of their ban had been lifted by Uefa, and that news was confirmed today by the European governing body, who also announced that five other clubs had received reduced sanctions. A Uefa statement said: "The investigatory chamber confirms that Málaga, Hajduk Split, NK Osijek, Dinamo Bucharest, Partizan Belgrade and Vojvodina have fulfilled all conditions imposed by the central financial control body, and therefore all suspended sanctions that had been imposed will not apply." The decision means that Hajduk Split, Osijek, Dinamo and Partizan receive no penalty. However, Rapid Bucharest and Arsenal Kiev were not so fortunate. Rapid's €100,000 (£85,645) fine and three-year ban from European competition stands, while Arsenal Kiev face a fine of €75,000. Málaga Uefa European club football Finances guardian.co.uk © 2013 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds Malaga's players celebrate after defeating Porto to reach the Champions League quarter finals Photograph: Marcelo Del Pozo/REUTERSMálaga enjoyed a remarkable run to the quarter-finals of the Champions League this season. Photograph: Marcelo Del Pozo/Reuters
• West Brom release Jerome Thomas and Gonzalo Jara Reyes
  • Right-back Steven Reid negotiating new deal • Club also plans to hold talks with Zoltan Gera West Bromwich Albion have released the winger Jerome Thomas and defender Gonzalo Jara Reyes, while a quartet of players have been told they could still have a future at the club. Albion have the option to terminate Steven Reid's contract as he has not made enough appearances to guarantee his final year, but they are in negotiations with the right-back over a new deal. They also plan to hold talks with the midfielder Zoltan Gera, whose season ended in January with a knee injury and is set to become a free agent this summer. The striker Marc-Antoine Fortuné is also coming to the end of his contract and Albion said they have not ruled out the possibility of making him an offer to return for next term. Meanwhile, with Goran Popov's season-long loan at the Midlands outfit having concluded, they are looking to speak to the defender's parent club Dynamo Kyiv before deciding whether to pursue a permanent deal. The striker Romelu Lukaku is returning to Chelsea after his successful season on loan at The Hawthorns, and Albion will not be exercising their option to permanently sign the Gent forward Yassine El Ghanassy, who also joined them on loan last summer. West Bromwich Albion Transfer window guardian.co.uk © 2013 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds West Bromwich Albion have released the winger Jerome Thomas, left. Photograph: Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty ImagesWest Brom have released the winger Jerome Thomas, left. Photograph: Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty Images
• Fulham finally land Derek Boateng and Fernando Amorebieta
  • Ghana midfielder says he has signed two-year deal • Amorebieta agrees a four-year move to Cottagers Athletic Bilbao's Fernando Amorebieta and the Dnipro midfielder Derek Boateng have both joined Fulham on free transfers. After a difficult campaign brought on by a number of high-profile departures, the London club moved quickly to sure up their squad. The defender Amorebieta has signed a four-year deal at Craven Cottage after eight seasons in La Liga with Bilbao, while Boateng has joined on a one-year deal with an option for a further season. Fulham have now signed up three players for next season, having taken up an option to permanently sign Sascha Riether from Cologne after a successful season-long loan spell. However, Amorebieta's arrival is arguably the most impressive addition so far as they beat off reported interest from Arsenal, Everton and Zenit St Petersburg. The 28-year-old defender made more than 250 appearances for Bilbao and will be a welcome addition to what has at times been a shaky Fulham defence. "I'm impressed with the talent already at the club and I look forward to meeting the players for pre-season training in July," he told the club's website. Relief is the overriding emotion after Boateng completed his protracted move. The Fulham manager Martin Jol has been a long-time admirer of the Ghana international and has attempted to bring him in on several occasions. Boateng's transfer had to be put on ice previously due to contract disputes with his Ukrainian club, but a deal for the 30-year-old has finally completed his move from Dnipro. "I've been working hard to come here and I'll do my best for the club," Boateng said. "It's been a long road for me but now I'm here I'm so happy and I can't wait to start and give everything I have." Fulham Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk Transfer window European club football guardian.co.uk © 2013 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds Derek Boateng. Photograph: Martin Rickett/PADerek Boateng has been a long-standing target of Fulham's. Photograph: Martin Rickett/PA