Rivals In A War of Words

Inter Milan manager, Jose Mourinho, and Juventus manager, Claudio Ranieri, have been in a war of words over the last couple of days.

The whole thing started on Sunday when Ranieri's side lost the Emirates Cup 3-0 to Hamburg. Ranieri said "I think the opposite to Mourinho. I don't need to win to be sure of what I do." He continued his attack on Mourinho by speaking on Mourinho's earlier attempts during this transfer season to land Lampard, he said, "I think that if I would have been the one to ask Abramovich for Lampard, he would have come to Juventus".

In typical Mourinho fashion, he responded with these words “I am in Italy to work hard rather than take part in a war of words,”

“I want to do well with Inter and do the best possible for us and to forget about the work of others.

“Ranieri? I guess he’s right with what he said I am very demanding of myself and I have to win to be sure of things.

“This is why I have won so many trophies in my career. Ranieri on the other hand has the mentality of someone who doesn’t need to win. He is almost 70 years old.

“He has won a Supercup and another small trophy and he is too old to change his mentality.

“He’s old and he hasn’t won anything.”

So much for not wanting to take part in a war of words LOL!

After Mourinho's comments Ranieri has hit back at his Portuguese colleague by stating ,

“I think it’s best to leave the August controversies behind, they will pass with time just like football matches,”

“However, Mourinho has shown everyone what he is really like, his true personality and what he thinks of his colleagues.

“It will be very difficult for him to take charge of a team who has won two consecutive titles and expected to win everything.”

I'm just wondering why Ranieri would mention Mourinho after his defeat to Hamburg, is he threatened by the Portuguese tactician? I don't know but it just seems to me that the managers in the Serie A have something against Jose Mourinho. Ranieri is not the only one to have words for Mourinho, now Catania's coach Walter Zenga, has responded to Mourinho's words for Ranieri by saying,

“What is [Mourinho] trying to say? That other coaches in Serie A are trying to avoid hard work?

"In Italy we have some excellent coach’s even amongst the younger ones.

“All this stuff about punctuality and precision; every coach expects this not just him.”

I don't know guys but it seems to me like the managers in the Serie A hold grudges against the "Special One".

Inter has Lampard Approach Rejected

The speculation has been on going for weeks now, with a huge air of uncertainty concerning Frank Lampard's future.
Jose Mourinho, former Chelsea boss and new coach of Inter Milan, is very keen to bring Lampard to the San Siro, as he is in the hunt for a top class midfielder. It was thought that the two would almost certainly be reunited at the start of the season, as they were reports that the clubs had agreed a fee for the player, and that Lampard had landed in Italy to complete a medical.
However Chelsea has officially denied these claims in a statement that reads:
"Chelsea Football Club can confirm it has received an official approach from Internazionale to discuss the possible transfer of Frank Lampard. Contrary to reports no financial offer was made. Chelsea FC has informed Inter this morning (Tuesday, July 8) that we will not enter into any discussions regarding the transfer of Frank Lampard."
Inter are still very keen on getting the player, and Jose Mourinho has informed the club that he wants to sign Lampard by next Wednesday, when all the players will be back for pre-season training. However with Chelsea's official statement, the only way the player can move is if he hands in a request to be transfered.

Mourinho after Xavi

Reports out of Italy and Spain, have suggested that new boss of Inter Milan, Jose Mourinho is after the player of Euro 2008, Xavi Hernandez.
Inter Milan seemed keen on bringing Frank Lampard to the San Siro, however it now appears that Lampard will only be making the switch until his contract at Chelsea runs out in 2009.
Inter are in the hunt for a top notch center midfielder, and Mourinho apparently has indicated to club owner, Massimo Moratti to make a move for Xavi. This is not the first time that Mourinho has tried to sign Xavi, as he also made an unscuccesful bid for the player, when he was manager of Chelsea two years ago.
My guess is he will be unsuccessful at landing Xavi once again. Xavi is a very important player at Barcelona and there's no way I see them selling him now, especially after his performance at Euro 2008. Speaking on receiving the best player award at Euro 2008, Xavi said that the award was big recognition for him and that it gives him more confidence than anything else, to achieve more next season with his squad. He also said that the award will not improve his role at Barcelona, as he is already valued.
Xavi is a committed Barcelona player and given the important role he has within the team, Inter Milan will be unsuccessful at landing him, no matter how much money they offer. Reports also suggest that Manchester United and Liverpool are also pondering moves for the 28-year-old.

Lampard Lands in Italy

With new reports out of Italy this time, suggesting that Lampard touched down in Italy to complete a medical at Inter Milan, the player's days at Chelsea definitely appear to be over.
I am actually quite excited about this transfer because English players usually don't play outside of their home country, and it will be very interesting in my opinion, to see how well Lampard performs at his new club. I think it won't be hard for him to adjust, especially with his former and soon to be current boss, Jose Mourinho, leading the charge. We all know how unsuccessful Micheal Owen was after making a move to Real Madrid in the 2004-2005 season, but I can't help but think Lamp's luck will be different.
Lampard's move again increases speculation, that Deco will be moving to the Bridge, largely because of newly appointed manager Luiz Felipe Scolari. I thought briefly about Roman Abramovich's interest in bringing in players, who can play more attractive football and definitely, Deco fits the script. His vision, skills and killer passes will bring one somewhat forgotten star to life, Andriy Shevchenko.
I strongly believe Shevchenko is the reason for wanting to see more attractive football. If you may recall when Sheva was at Milan, he was the kind of striker who usually ran on to deadly through balls from either Kaka or Pirlo. However at Chelsea the style of play is so different, that the player seemed to lack quality providers. After Chelsea payed such a hefty price for the striker, I believe they intend to bring in players who will help their investment perform rather sell and loose money.
As for Lampard I think the Serie A, will present challenges for him and ultimately will make him a better player. I think Inter Milan suits him just fine, and I'm definitely interested in seeing how he will adapt.

Inter Signs Lampard?

According to news reports out of France, Inter Milan has signed Frank Lampard from Chelsea. However official confirmation from both parties is yet to be seen.
I don't know how true this news is, but Inter's Chairman Massimo Moratti, did confirm about a week or so ago that Lampard was indeed their primary target. Jose Mourinho too on his appointment at Inter, earlier this transfer season, did also state that he would be keen on working with his former players, Lampard included, because of the commitment they showed him when he was at Chelsea. Therefore this news isn't so hard to believe, but I just find it rather funny, that news out of France would be the first to tell this story because English and Italians are involved.
Lampard's future at Stamford Bridge was somewhat under the clouds for sometime now, as he was tipped to leave the Bridge after apparent negotiations on a new contract had broken down. His departure from Chelsea could confirm Deco's move to the Blues, which has been speculated for sometime now after the appointment of Scolari as coach.
Lampard's deal is believed to be in the region of 9 million euros, with the player being played an annual salary of 7.3 million euros.

Mourhino "The Speial One" is back!!!

Jose Mourinho has once again entered the soccer arena after being out of a job for a about a year, and already the Portuguese, charismatic coach has made his mark.
Yes, Mourinho was appointed as coach of Inter Milan for the upcoming season and though that may be the highlight in the news about him thus far, it's not what I'm speaking about. Mourinho is a very controversial character and he just loves the spotlight, he is always in the media whether or not it is football related. If you know anything about him, you would recall that during his time as coach of Chelsea he had an incident with the London police and his dog. I laughed so much when I read that story. It seems that Jose does any and everything to get some attention.
Currently, Mourinho and the officials of Barcelona are throwing jabs at each other, primarily because Barca has claimed that Jose Mourinho asked them for an interview for a possible coaching vacancy the club had at the time. Mourinho however, has denied these claims and has stated that Marc Ingla, Barca's vice-president, lied about him and even went as far as saying that Ingla is out to tarnish his reputation. Barca has fired back swiftly and has said that yes a meeting had been held by the two parties, but Pep Guardiola, the newly appointed coach, was always the first choice and that they even have a literal transcript of the interview, to prove that Mourinho contacted them first.
To me, it was highly unlikely that Barca would have hired Mourinho anyway. During his time at Chelsea, when Barca knocked Chelsea out of the quarterfinals of the Champions League, Mourinho was a sore loser and made several questionable comments which apparently damaged his relationship with the club. Also because of his highly controversial character, he would have never really been a fit for a team who wears the Unicef logo on their shirt.
I know that some people probably don't like "The Special One", but I just personally love the spice or flavor, whatever you may call it, he brings to the football scene. In whatever he is involved, something "Special" is almost always likely to happen. So with that said, welcome back "Special One".

Scolari To Chelsea Official

Given the fact that Luiz Felipe Scolari has now been officially appointed coach of Chelsea, it will be very interesting to see what the Brazilian has to offer. Said to be a man who always has good relationships with his players by interacting with them and seeing how they like to play and where on the pitch. To see him coaching Chelsea will be very interesting indeed.
For me, bringing him to Chelsea was a good move by the directors and owner, Roman Abramovich, it will be very interesting to see how similar or different Chelsea plays under Scolari's rule. While Avram Grant was manager Chelsea pretty much played the same physical, brute force kind of football that they had been playing when Jose Mourinho was manager. However we will see if Scolari brings them to playing more attractive football, the kind that Abramovich would like to see.
Another point of topic, would be the players that he decides to bring to Stamford Bridge, will he follow the trend of the other managers in the EPL, and bring in players of his nationality, like Rafa Benitez brings in Spanish players and Arsene Wenger brings in the French. Well, we shortly shall see.
One player who it has been suggested that he will bring to the Bridge is Deco, who Scolari is currently coaching at Euro 2008 along with the other Portuguese players. It is reported that Scolari has indicated to Lampard that he should leave, thus leaving the press to speculate about Deco replacing Lamps. Regardless of who he brings in to play, one thing is certain, Chelsea fans are excited about Scolari's appointment, let's all just wait and see what he has to offer.

Rijkaard or Mancini, who would you choose?

Hi football fans, word out is that Chelsea are focusing on two options for the vacancy they have available after the sacking of Avram Grant. These two options are none other than Roberto Mancini and Frank Rijkaard who both lost their jobs recently.
With their other targets already preoccupied or having moved elsewhere these two are favorites to land the job. Guus Hiddink pledged his future to the Russian national team , Mark Hughes opted to caoch Manchester City, Jose Mourinho ruled out a return and was appointed coach of Inter, and Milan have declared that they will not let Ancelotti leave. Therefore if you were Chelsea who would you pick Rijkaard or Mancini.
Both these managers have been successful but Frank Rijkaard has the better track record, although Mancini has been more successful in recent times winning three back to back scudettos, while Rijkaard has been titleless in the last two seasons with Barca which ultimately cost him his job.
With Roman Abromovich wanting to see a classier style of football being played at Chelsea and his urge to win the Champions League, if I were Chelsea I would appoint Rijkaard, who has won it unlike Roberto Mancini. I would also appoint Rijkaard for his coaching philosphy and style, which includes playing very attacking football as a cohesive unit. In his system there are no stars and every player is important to the team. This kind of philosophy builds personal morale and subsequently team morale. I'm not particularly sure what coaching philosophy Mancini holds but given the way Barca played when they were in their prime I would choose Rijkaard hands down.
Chelsea are set to conduct interviews with both managers during the kick off of Euro 2008, so as to get some time out of the limelight for once. Regardless of whoever they appoint as coach, I believe either manager would be a good choice. Maybe they could have Rijkaard as head coach and Mancini as assistant or vice versa, as the assistant manager role is also vacant after Henk Ten Cate was also fired. However i could hardly see such prolific managers wanting to coach in an assistant role.

Mancini, Mourinho switch likely

Today Roberto Mancini's agent declared that he is no longer coach of Inter and that Jose Mourinho is likely to be given the job as early as tomorrow. Even though Mancini has been successful, leading the club to three consecutive Scudettos, it is believed that he lost his job mainly because he was unable to deliver in the Champions League. The same reason for which Jose Mourinho was fired for at Chelsea.
Jose Mourinho who has been in the hunt to coach a big club in either Spain or Italy after ruling out a move back to England, as he believes personally that these two leagues are the best in the world, could see his wish come true as he is expected to take Mancini's place.
Mancini on the other hand is likely to make a move to Chelsea as he has been one of their targets to coach the team after the sacking of Avram Grant.
This is all very interesting to me and I am looking forward to seeing both of them especially Jose Mourinho coaching again. He is sure to bring great life and controversy back into the world of football. Look forward to it.

Avram Grant sacked

I have some somewhat unfortunate news.Chelsea yesterday decided to sack Israeli coach Avram Grant. Despite Grant leading them to within two points of the Premier League title and to the Champions League Final. Obviously it wasn't enough for Chelsea's Russian owner Roman Abramovich who is reported to be good friends with Grant.
It is also reported that Abramovich would like to see a better style of football being played at Chelsea and therefore has been linked with ex Barca coach Frank Rijkarrd, who is reported to be the favorite for the job. Sven-Goran Eriksson, Brian Laudrup, and Roberto Mancini have all also been linked with the job.
I feel kind of bad for Grant as he had a tough task from the minute he took over from Jose Mourinho at Chelsea. He was in noway like Chelsea's former manager who was charismatic, outspoken, who the fans loved dearly and above all won back to back titles at the club, the Carling Cup and the FA Cup. From the very beginning he had big shoes to fill and his appointment at Chelsea always looked temporary. I'm sure we'll see him managing soon as some club will most likely be impressed with what he has achieved after being given his first shot at the English Premier League. Good luck! To Avram Grant.

Champions League Final: Preview

Hi there football fans! Tomorrow is the Champions League Final!!!! Aren't u guys excited? I hope you are, as I know I will be looking forward to a pretty entertaining game with many twist and turns, or maybe it will be a dull game as both these teams are use to playing each other in the English Premier League but let's hope for the best.
Let's begin by talking about Manchester United who for many people will be the favorites to win this one. Christiano Ronaldo has apparently pumped himself for this game by declaring before the media when asked about his poor performances in big matches, that he is the best. One would think twice before disputing his comments but isn't it a little too early to be saying stuff like that? I mean you haven't even won the Champions League yet. I guess it's just his way of coping with the pressure ahead of him. Let's hope for his sake he doesn't miss another penalty like he did against Barcelona.
Next up Chelsea, Chelsea, Chelsea, who would have thought they would have made it to the Champions League final without the "Special One", Jose Mourinho. I must say Chelsea have proved their worth this season as they have defied the odds by eliminating Liverpool, the team that knocked them out last season and so many times before. Furthermore much credit must be given to a man that who from the beginning received none, Avam Grant. A coach that no one has ever heard of before has silenced his critics by pressing Man. United for the title in the Premiership and giving the team a birth in the Champions League. Let's hope he can bring home the title for the club and continue to earn the respect of the fans, critics and even the authorities at Chelsea, who have admitted they didn't expect him to do so well.
I hope to see some good football tomorrow, with two teams out there giving it their all. Even though I'm not a fan of either of these clubs, I am a man who loves football and I enjoy the passion the fans, especially in England have for their clubs. I expect tomorrow to see big performances by Tevez for Manchester and by Drogba and Ballack for Chelsea. Some of you may wonder why I haven't mentioned Cristiano Ronaldo to peform big in this one, well I'll answer that by saying I'm judging him based on past performances in big matches. Let's hope for the sake of the Manchester fans he shows up.