Wednesday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Chelsea are preparing a £25m bid for Bayern Munich midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger.(Daily Mirror) 
New Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho is contemplating a surprise move to bring Michael Ballack to Spain.(Daily Mail) 
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is lining up a move for Germany playmaker Mesut Ozil, with the Gunners considering a £12m bid for Werder Bremen's 21-year-old. (www.caughtoffside.com) 
Robinho's representatives will officially tell Manchester City next week that the £32.5m British record signing no longer wishes to play for the club under coach Roberto Mancini.(Daily Mail) 
Robinho's camp has expressed a desire to move to Barcelona, with Manchester City possibly offering the Brazilian in a swap deal for midfielder Yaya Toure.(The Guardian) 
The agent representing Juventus striker Vincenzo Iaquinta says the Italian will be heading to Tottenham this summer.(The Sun) 
West Ham co-owner David Gold says England goalkeeper Robert Green is up for grabs this summer. The 29-year-old's contract expires next year and Gold revealed: "At this stage we are not going to have talks with him about a new deal."(The Sun) 
Rafael Benitez's first move when he is finally unveiled as Inter Milan manager will be to return to England and his former club Liverpool in an attempt to take Argentine midfielder Javier Mascherano to the San Siro. (Daily Mirror) 
West Ham have had a £2m bid for defender Onyekachi Apam rejected by Nice.(The Times)
Arsenal defender William Gallas is wanted by Greek side Panathinaikos.(Daily Mirror) 
Fulham are close to completing the signing of Standard Liege striker Dieumerci Mbokani for a fee of £8m.(Daily Mail) 
Aston Villa lead a long list of clubs wanting to sign winger Martin Petrov, who has been released by Manchester City. Everton, Stoke, West Ham and Bolton are also interested in the 31-year-old.(Daily Mirror) 
Barcelona president Joan Laporta is "totally sure" the Catalan club will sign Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas.(Daily Mirror) 
Italian club Fiorentina are weighing up a £3.5m bid for Liverpool's 21-year-old left-back Emiliano Insua. (Daily Mail) 
Blackburn and Sunderland are set to battle it out for the signing of Stoke forward Tuncay.(Daily Mirror)
Rangers have lined up a £500,00 move for Lens striker Toifilou Maoulida.(Daily Record) 
Blackpool manager Ian Holloway is mulling over a bid for Wolves striker Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, even though the 24-year-old only managed two goals in the 2009/10 campaign.(Daily Mail) 
Tottenham are preparing an improved £8m offer for Ipswich's England Under-17 international Connor Wickham.(Daily Mail) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Liverpool will make a formal approach for Fulham manager Roy Hodgson to become their new manager within the next 48 hours.(Daily Mirror) 
However, Anfield legend Kenny Dalglish (on photo) has put himself forward to take over at Liverpool and has withdrawn from the panel to select the next boss. (Daily Express) 
England manager Fabio Capello wants to hold talks with Wayne Rooney to tell the Manchester United striker to curb his temper.(Daily Mirror) 
Former England skipper Terry Butcher says if he was a United States defender he would "belt" Rooney in order to wind him up.(The Sun) 
England's players have told Capello that they want David James to be the number one goalkeeper during the World Cup as they feel his communication skills are better than his rivals.(Daily Star) 
The Finnish Football Association is trying to stop their national boss Stuart Baxter joining Celtic. The Glasgow club want Baxter in an advisory capacity, while he still keeps his job with Finland.(Daily Record) 

AND FINALLY

United States players had a pep talk from Commander Dan Jollota, the helicopter pilot who inspired the film Black Hawk Down, ahead of their opening World Cup game against England on Saturday.(Daily Mirror)

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Wednesday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Inter Milan right-back Maicon is top of Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini's summer wish list, according to the Brazilian's agent.(skysports.com) 
According to Spanish newspaper Sport, City's bid for Maicon could be rivalled by Real Madrid, whose new boss Jose Mourinho is also chasing Manchester United's Wayne Rooney and Inter Milan's Diego Milito.(imscouting.com) 
City have reportedly made a 35m Euro bid for Barcelona striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic , although the offer doesn't appear to be high enough to land the Swede.(imscouting.com) 
City are also closing in on a £36m deal for Wolfsburg striker Edin Dzeko, despite the German club's announcement that the Bosnian was set to stay after clubs failed to meet Monday's midnight deadline for his £34m buy-out clause.(Daily Mail) 
Aston Villa will make a £5m move for Manchester City defender Nedum Onuoha.(Daily Mirror) 
But Villa have warned City that if they want to prise midfielder James Milner away from Villa Park it will cost them £30m.(Daily Mail) 
Tottenham will rebuff any move by AC Milan to sign full-back Gareth Bale. The Italians have made enquiries about the Wales international over the past year.(Daily Mail) 
Chelsea's Slovakian World Cup winger Miroslav Stoch is ready to sign for Turkish giants Galatasaray in a surprise £2.5m deal.(Daily Mirror) 
Arsenal are preparing to let young midfielder Francis Coquelin, 19, join Lorient on a season-long loan to help improve their chances of landing the French side's 24-year-old defender Laurent Koscielny.(Daily Mail) 
Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson is apparently considering a move for Palermo's impressive young centre back Simon Kjaer this summer.(caughtoffside.com) 
Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez is apparently considering a move for Manchester City striker Roque Santa Cruz and could offer midfielder Yossi Benayoun in part-exchange.(Daily Mail) 
Fulham are in talks to sign former Liverpool left-back Fabio Aurelio on a free transfer. The Brazilian recently failed to agree terms with Liverpool on a pay-as-you- play deal.(Daily Mail) 
Blackburn are back on the trail of Lech Poznan's Polish striker Robert Lewandowski after his proposed £6m move to Borussia Dortmund hit a hitch.(Daily Mail) 
Celtic have won the race to sign Hull's Jimmy Bullard after the midfielder agreed to join the Scottish giants on a 12-month loan deal. (Daily Mirror) 
Midfielder Darren Ambrose's protracted move to London rivals QPR was in doubt last night after his club Crystal Palace were saved from the brink of closure. Ambrose has already undergone a medical and agreed personal terms with Rangers but Palace's prospective new owners CPFC 2010 may refuse to sell.(Daily Mail) 
Nottingham Forest boss Billy Davies is lining up a £2m bid for Cardiff midfielder Peter Whittingham.(Daily Mirror) 
QPR have offered to almost double Paddy Kenny's wages in a bid to lure the keeper from Sheffield United to Loftus Road.(Daily Mirror) 
West Brom manager Roberto Di Matteo is making a £1.2m bid to sign keeper Boaz Myhill from cash-strapped Hull.(Daily Mirror) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Inter Milan president Massimo Moratti has started to make plans for a rejection from England boss Fabio Capello by moving to discuss the managerial vacancy at the San Siro with Fulham boss Roy Hodgson, who has had two previous spells at the San Siro. (Daily Mail) 
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has revealed his anger and frustration after being told by the Anfield board there will be no money to spend in the summer.(Daily Mirror) 
Benitez's future at Liverpool will be decided at a third round of talks with his Liverpool employers next week, with the club eager to tie the Spaniard to the club in the face of interest in his services from Inter Milan.(The Sun) 
Former Arsenal and Manchester City striker Paul Dickov will be handed the manager's job at Oldham after impressing in an interview. Dickov, 37, who spent the second half of this season with Leeds, has never managed before.(Daily Mail) 
Striker Robbie Blake has turned down Burnley's 'final offer' of a one-year contract because he feels he is worth a longer deal with the Clarets.(Daily Mirror) 

AND FINALLY

Manchester United chief executive David Gill admits he does not think the 'Green and Gold' protests, conducted by Red Devils supporters unhappy with the club's American owners the Glazers, are going to be abandoned. "There were some comments last week that I was belittling the protest," said Gill. "That could not be further from the truth. We understand it and it will be there."(Daily Mail)

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Friday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Liverpool are considering an £8m move for Atletico Madrid's Portuguese winger Simao as boss Rafael Benitez continues his search for a left winger.(Daily Star)
Manchester City have joined the chase for Wolfsburg's highly rated Bosnia international striker Edin Dzeko.(Daily Mail)
It is not only Dzeko that City are chasing. The club have launched a daring raid for Valencia forward David Silva as well as three Real Madrid stars - Gonzalo Higuain, Rafael van der Vaart and Fernando Gago.(Daily Mirror)
Everton boss David Moyes has swooped for Leeds striker Jermaine Beckford and will make him his first signing of the summer.(Daily Mirror)
Jose Mourinho has pinpointed Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole as the type of signings he would like to make at Real Madrid, causing consternation in the boardrooms of Liverpool and Chelsea.(The Guardian)
West Ham have made a £3m offer for Lyon striker Frederic Piquionne, who spent a year-long loan at Portsmouth last season.(Daily Mail)
Wolves are closing in on a £7m deal for Burnley striker Steven Fletcher. (Daily Mail)
Bolton manager Owen Coyle has approached his Arsenal counterpart Arsene Wenger about the possibility of midfielder Jack Wilshere returning on loan next season.(Daily Mail)
Defender Mario Melchiot is set to join Qatari club Umm Salal. The Wigan skipper, 33, is out of contract and will sign a lucrative deal in the Gulf.(The Sun)

OTHER GOSSIP

England have suffered a World Cup injury scare after Steven Gerrard limped out of a training session, with the Liverpool midfielder requiring 20 minutes of treatment on his right calf after he pulled up sharply.(Daily Mail)
England manager Fabio Capello says Argentina are the team he fears most in the World Cup, claiming they are the team with the most talented players.(Daily Mirror)
Capello has also warned his England team not to rely on Wayne Rooney in South Africa.(Daily Star)
Arsenal winger Theo Walcott is sure David Beckham can still be England's secret World Cup weapon - despite injury ruling the former Manchester United and Real Madrid midfielder out of the tournament.(Daily Star)
Capello believes Gareth Barry is recovering more quickly than expected from an ankle injury and is inclined to include the holding midfielder in his squad. (The Guardian)
Manchester United chief executive David Gill has described the United fans driving the 'green and gold' protest against the Glazer family ownership as "a minority" and suggested that many people who wear the scarves do not even understand the nature of their own protest.(The Independent)
Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas has revealed to friends he made up his mind to quit after a bust-up surrounding Gunners chairman Peter Hill-Wood.(Daily Mirror)

.

AND FINALLY

The United States's football team have visited the White House for an official World Cup send-off from President Barack Obama, Vice-President Joe Biden and former President Bill Clinton ahead of their flight to South Africa on Sunday.(The Sun)
Scotland manager Craig Levein wants England to win the World Cup, claiming it will be "good for Scotland".(The Sun)

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Monday's gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP

Barcelona have targeted Arsenal's Emmanuel Eboue as cover for regular right-back Daniel Alves. (imscouting) 
Inter Milan president Massimo Moratti has warned Real Madrid and other clubs that Diego Milito is not for sale. "There's a difference between Milito and our coach, Mourinho," Moratti told the club's official website www.inter.it. "Mourinho has a clause in his contract by which if the clause is exercised, he can leave. However, Milito doesn't and hence, the discussion is over." (Press Association Sport)

.

TRANSFER GOSSIP

The news that Jose Mourinho is likely to leave Inter Milan to become manager of Real Madrid has sparked panic among Premier League clubs, who fear he will swoop to sign their best players. Chelsea's Didier Drogba, Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole are reportedly in his sights, along with Liverpool stars Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres.(The Sun) 
Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson is ready to offer striker Dimitar Berbatov as part of a £28m-deal for Wolfsburg forward Edin Dzeko.(caughtoffside.com) 
Chelsea are weighing up a double-swoop for Liverpool midfielders Javier Mascherano and Yossi Benayoun. (Daily Mail) 
The Blues are also eyeing up an £18m-move for Barcelona forward Bojan Krkic.(caughtoffside.com) 
Chelsea and Arsenal are interested in signing Barcelona's 19-year-old Israeli playmaker Guy Assulin, according to Spanish newspaper Sport.(imscouting.com) 
Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina believes club and country team-mate Fernando Torres will remain at Anfield next season. Torres has been linked with a move away from Liverpool after the club's poor campaign, with Chelsea and Barcelona supposedly in the running for the Spaniard's services.(Independent) 
Barcelona's pursuit of Arsenal's Cesc Fabregas has been aided by the willingness of the Spanish FA to let the Spanish Champions conduct negotiations with the midfielder during the build-up to the World Cup.(Daily Mail) 
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is set to reignite his interest in Paris St Germain's French Under 21 captain Mamadou Sakho this summer.(caughtoffside.com) 
Prospective West Ham manager Avram Grant is planning to sign four of his former Portsmouth players once he takes charge at Upton Park. Tal Ben Haim, Kevin Prince Boateng, Nadir Belhadj and on-loan Tottenham midfielder Jamie O'Hara are all on his wanted list. (Daily Mail) 
West Ham are also hopeful of luring Italian striker Luca Toni to Upton Park from Bayern Munich on a free transfer.(caughtoffside.com)
Everton midfielder Steven Pienaar has put Tottenham, Liverpool and Manchester United on alert after revealing he has rejected the Goodison club's latest contract offer. (Daily Mail) 
Newly-installed Wolfsburg manager Steve McClaren wants to sign Manchester City striker Craig Bellamy for £8m.(Daily Mail) 
Birmingham have joined Wolves, West Brom and Everton in the race for Hull's Republic of Ireland midfielder Stephen Hunt. Hunt, who cost £3.5m from Reading last summer, has already been told he can leave the relegated Tigers.(Daily Mirror) 
Birmingham are set to make a £6m move for Valencia's 6ft 7in striker Nikola Zigic.(The Sun) 
However, they could face competition for his signature from Liverpool, may offer winger Albert Rieira as part of any deal.(caughtoffside.com) 
Wigan boss Roberto Martinez is planning a swoop on former club Swansea to sign midfielder Leon Britton.(Daily Mirror) 
Blackpool manager Ian Holloway wants to re-sign on-loan Everton defender Seamus Coleman for next season after he impressed at Bloomfield Road this campaign.(Daily Mirror) 
Blackpool have upped the ante in their bid to sign Rangers defender Kirk Broadfoot, with Wigan, Portsmouth and several Championship clubs also interested. (the Sun) 
Scunthorpe have told Celtic they will have to pay £2.5m for striker Gary Hooper. (Daily Mail)
Wolves have reportedly agreed personal terms with the Anderlecht utility player Jelle van Damme. He will join Wolves for £2.5m and sign a four-year contract.(Daily Mail) 
Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini is planning a raid on former club Inter Milan to sign Argentine midfielder Esteban Cambiasso for £18m.(caughtoffside.com) 
Shota Arveladze, the new coach of Kaysterispor, wants to sign Kris Boyd from former club Rangers, with the Turks offering a package worth around £5.5m for the forward who is also interesting Bursaspor, Ankaragucu, Birmingham, Newcastle, Wolves, Middlesbrough and Hertha Berlin. (Various)
Celtic are still interested is signing Philippe Senderos, according to the father of the Switzerland defender, who would prefer to remain at Everton after a loan spell from Arsenal. (Daily Mail) 
Hibernian are back on the trail of out-of-favour Preston North End right-back Michael Hart, who will make a decision about his future when he returns from holiday. (Various)

OTHER GOSSIP

England captain Rio Ferdinand says that he would have paid Manchester United team-mate Paul Scholes to come out of retirement and play for the country during this summer's World Cup in South Africa.(The Sun) 
Former United States defender Alexi Lalas claims it would not be a shock if the USA beat England in their big World Cup opener in South Africa on 12 June.(The Sun) 
Nigerian billionaire businessman Aliko Dangote could be poised to complicate Arsenal's ownership even further. Dangote is believed to be interested in buying Lady Nina Bracewell-Smith's 16% stake in the club to join Uzbeki tycoon Alisher Usmanov and American businessman Stan Kroenke as a big shareholder.(Daily Mirror) 
Portsmouth stars want goalkeeper David James to become player-boss as a replacement for Avram Grant, who quit Fratton Park last week. (Daily Mirror) 
Fulham manager Roy Hodgson has emerged as a candidate to replace Jose Mourinho as boss of Inter Milan. The 62-year-old has twice managed the Italian side before, the most recent being as caretaker for a season 11 years ago.(Daily Mirror) 
Everton midfielder Jack Rodwell will sign a new five-year contract worth around £30,000-a-week today, scuppering any lingering hopes Manchester United and Arsenal retained of securing the talented teenager this summer.(Guardian) 
Midfielder Michael Ballack will discuss terms over a new contract with Chelsea this week, according to German newspaper Bild.(imscouting.com) 
Hamburg chairman Bernd Hoffman wants to return the club to its glory days and believes former England manger Kevin Keegan is the man to take the German side forward. Keegan played in the Hamburg side that was beaten 1-0 by Nottingham Forest in the 1980 European Cup final.(Daily Mail) 
Former keeper Mark Crossley will have talks with Oldham about becoming their new boss today. (Daily Mirror) 

AND FINALLY

England are struggling to play with the new Adidas football that will be used at this summer's World Cup. Boss Fabio Capello said the players are "having problems controlling it" at their altitude training camp in Austria. The Italian expects the ball to be even harder to control in Rustenburg, South Africa, which is several hundred metres higher above sea level than the European base.(Daily Mail) 
Argentina manager Diego Maradona has demanded two state-of-the-art bidet toilets be installed for him at the team's World Cup base camp in South Africa. Builders were rushed in to carry out a £1,400 overhaul of the football legend's private suite after his aides complained that the existing bathroom facilities would not meet his 'high standards.'(Daily Mail) 
Blackpool striker Ben Burgess says his club boss Ian Holloway was short of the mark when he suggested the newly-promoted Tangerines would target a Champions League place in two years. "With him in charge we'll probably win the Premier League next season!" said Burgess.(The Sun)

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Sunday's gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP

Liverpool may make a summer move for Manchester City defender Micah Richards with an offer of £12m.(caughtoffside.com) 
Manchester United are preparing a £20m bid for Real Madrid attacker Rafael Van der Vaart according to the Spanish press.(IMScouting.com) 

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Inter Milan boss Jose Mourinho may move for Liverpool midfielder Steven Gerrard after agreeing a four-year £40m deal to take over as Real Madrid manager next season. Inter right-back Maicon is likely to be his first signing at the Bernabeu.(Sunday Times) 
James Milner has told friends that he wants to join Liverpool. Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea are also desperate to sign Aston Villa's 24-year-old England midfielder.(News of the World)
Liverpool are lining up Wolfsburg's Edin Dzeko, who was the German Bundesliga's top scorer with 26 goals last season, to replace Fernando Torres. Chelsea and Manchester City are poised to make massive bids to sign the Spanish striker.(News of the World) 
Chelsea are poised to launch a £26m bid for Tottenham playmaker Luka Modric. (Mail on Sunday) 
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has failed to change the mind of captain Cesc Fabregas who is determined to return to boyhood club Barcelona this summer.(News of the World) 
Republic of Ireland midfielder Stephen Ireland, 23, has told Manchester City that he wants to leave the club.(Sunday Mirror) 
City are also looking to offload temperamental Brazilian star Robinho. The club is hoping he has an outstanding World Cup so they can recoup at least £25m of the £32.5m they forked out when signing him from Real Madrid in August 2008. (Sunday Mirror) 
Manchester City are still looking to flex their spending muscles by offering £20m for Everton's 28-year-old midfielder Mikel Arteta. Arsenal are likely to provide the main competition as they search for a replacement for the seemingly Barcelona-bound Cesc Fabregas.(Mail on Sunday) 
Everton have emerged as contenders for the signature of Manchester City's unsettled striker Craig Bellamy. Tottenham are also in the race for the Wales international.(News of the World) 
Robbie Keane is set to move from Tottenham to Aston Villa in a £15m deal. Villa are ready to meet the asking price, particularly if they pick up £30m for James Milner from either Manchester City or Chelsea. (Sunday Mirror) 
Villa are also in the market for Valencia pair Nikola Zigic and Miguel. The Serbian striker and Portuguese defender would cost a combined £9.5m.(News of the World) 
Joe Cole could renew his acquaintance with Harry Redknapp as Tottenham close in on the England midfielder who has yet to agree a new contract with Chelsea. Spurs boss Redknapp handed Cole his debut as a teenager when he was in charge at West Ham.(Sunday Mirror) 
Celtic winger Aiden McGeady is faced with a choice between Birmingham and Russian side Spartak Moscow as he contemplates a £6m move away from Parkhead.(News of the World) 
Hull will have to offload midfielder Jimmy Bullard this summer as his £45,000-a-week wages are too much for the relegated side to afford in the Championship.(News of the World) 
Bolton boss Owen Coyle hopes to sign Portsmouth striker David Nugent who he took on loan during his time with Burnley last season.(News of the World) 
Sunderland are beating Aston Villa and Newcastle in the battle for Manchester City defender Nedum Onuoha.(News of the World) 
Newcastle are confident that they can tie up a deal to take Manchester United winger Tom Cleverley on loan for next season. The 20-year-old spent last season at Watford.(News of the World) 
The Magpies are also close to a deal for French winger Bernard Mendy who has left Hull as a free agent.(News of the World) 
Ajax striker Luis Suarez has told his employers that he will only leave the Amsterdam club for Manchester United. (Sunday Express)
Wigan are set to sign up Tenerife centre-half Jose Antonio Culebras on a free transfer. (News of the World) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Wayne Rooney is not fully fit after it emerged that the England striker is still having treatment on his injured right ankle.(News of the World) 
Everton midfielder Jack Rodwell will turn down the chance to move to Manchester United or Arsenal and sign a new long-term deal at Goodison Park.(News of the World) 
Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez is being offered £5m to quit Anfield and manage the United Arab Emirates.(Mail on Sunday) 
Former Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate will be offered a return to management by Portsmouth.(News of the World) 
Avram Grant's first task on being appointed West Ham manager will be to trim co-owner David Sullivan's list of transfer targets from 32 names to just 6.(News of the World) 
Notts County manager Steve Cotterill has emerged as Portsmouth's top target to replace Avram Grant as manager. Cotterill, 45, led County to the League Two title, but only had a contract until the end of the season.(Sunday Mirror) 

AND FINALLY

Cesc Fabregas will be paid half his annual salary before he has even kicked a ball for Barcelona should the 23-year-old complete his move from Arsenal. The midfielder, who is expected to earn about £160,000-a-week, will immediately be paid £4.16m.(Sunday Mirror)

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Bayern Munich 0 - 2 Inter Milan

Jose Mourinho wrote his name into the history books as Diego Milito inspired Inter Milan to Champions League glory against Bayern Munich at the Bernabeu.
Milito set Inter on their way against the run of play with a clipped finish. 
And he wrapped up a win built on the foundations of a solid defence with a solo effort that saw Inter become the first Italian side to win the Treble. 
It means Mourinho, who won the cup with Porto in 2004, becomes the third man in history to win it with two clubs. 
He joins Ernst Happel and Ottmar Hitzfeld in earning that remarkable accolade - at the age of only 47 - and, in doing so, ends a wait of more than 45 years for the Nerazzurri to regain Europe's top prize. 
That he did so by overcoming his mentor Louis van Gaal, with whom he worked at Barcelona in the 1990s, in the process only served to complete the ultimate season of personal vindication for the Portuguese.
If reports are to be believed, it is a triumph that will earn Mourinho the manager's position at arguably the world's biggest club, Real Madrid, this summer.
How fitting, then, that this triumph was earned at Real's magnificent Bernabeu stadium - and as Mourinho waved to the Inter fans after watching his side lift the trophy, it looked every inch a wave goodbye and confirmation this will prove the denouement of his career in Italy.

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Bayern - Inter

Bayern will have 2 big threats, Robben and Olic. Few good games including elimination of Sir Alex's men,but my impression is they progressed to final with a slight touch of luck.

Few years ago I said that Inter will win CL at same year when Liverpool win Premier. Which means never. But, Mourinho created Chelsea in Italy and eliminations of Barca and mentioned Chelsea make of them favorites tonight in my opinion. And simply can’t imagine Mourinho loses at his future home. No way.

Have been thinking about -0.25, but decided to take a big odd. Inter to win, best offer is at Eurobet 2.50. Milito will score. Correct result 1-0,2-0.

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Thursday's gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP

Manchester United are ready to make a £28m bid for Aston Villa midfielder James Milner. Villa have already turned down a £20m bid from Manchester City for the 24-year-old who is currently with England at their pre-World Cup training camp in Austria. (caughtoffside.com) 

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Barcelona are preparing to launch a £70m bid for Liverpool's Fernando Torres after signing David Villa, his strike partner in Spain's national side, from Valencia.(Daily Mirror) 
However, the Catalan side's hopes of luring Cesc Fabregas from Arsenal to the Nou Camp could be hit by Yaya Toure's reluctance to move in the opposite direction. The Ivory Coast midfielder is said to be attracting the interest of Manchester City.(Daily Mail) 
Barca have decided they will not pay more than £30m for Fabregas, which could also put the deal at risk.(Daily Star) 
Arsenal are looking for £80m before they allow their talismanic skipper to return to his former club.(Daily Mail) 
Gunners manager Arsene Wenger is actually hopeful of persuading midfielder Fabregas to stay for one more season.(Daily Mirror) 
However, should Fabregas leave, Arsenal can forget plans to replace him with Mikel Arteta, according to the Everton midfielder's agent. Manchester United have also been linked with a move for Arteta.(the Sun) 
Manchester United are planning a £15m bid for Everton midfielder Jack Rodwell despite Toffees boss David Moyes saying the 19-year-old is not for sale.(the Sun) 
Manchester City will need to pay Benfica £43m if they want to bring Brazilian defender David Luiz to Eastlands. (the Independent) 
Merseyside rivals Everton and Liverpool are competing to sign £11m-rated Ajax centre-back Jan Vertonghen.(Daily Mirror) 
Sunderland manager Steve Bruce is planning a major spending spree after being told he has "an open chequebook".(the Sun) 
Birmingham City are considering a £2.5m bid for Fulham full-back Paul Konchesky.(Daily Mail) 
The Blues have also joined the race for Burnley striker Steven Fletcher as their hopes of landing Fulham's Bobby Zamora fade.(Daily Mirror) 
West Brom are poised to sign Hull star Stephen Hunt - even though he won't be fit for the start of next season. The Baggies have agreed a £4m fee for the Republic of Ireland winger, rising to £5.5m if Roberto di Matteo's men stay in the Premier League.(Daily Star) 
The Baggies are also set to make a £2m move for Stoke striker James Beattie. (the Sun) 
Sol Campbell has welcomed Celtic's interest and made it a clear a bumper two-year deal could tempt him to reject a one-year offer from Arsenal.(the Sun) 
Veteran defender David Weir is set to hang up his boots if Walter Smith quits as Rangers boss over the summer. (Various) 
Fulham are ready to table a pre-World Cup bid of £1m for Hibernian defender Sol Bamba.(Scottish Daily Express)
Peter Houston's first task as permanent manager of Dundee United will be to fight off bids for Craig Conway and Garry Kenneth from Middlesbrough.(Daily Record) 
Meanwhile, Houston will sign a three-year contract at Tannadice tomorrow. (Various)

OTHER GOSSIP

Inter Milan have denied they have made an approach for Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez to replace Real Madrid-bound Jose Mourinho.(the Sun) 
Benitez says he wants a further four years at Anfield and also feels there is no evidence that star striker Fernando Torres wants to leave the club.(the Times) 
Manchester United failed in a last-ditch attempt to sign Spain international striker David Villa, who joined Barcelona for £34m.(Mirror) 
The Red Knights consortium's hopes of taking over United from the Glazer family looks set to fail because of internal wranglings.(Guardian) 
Dutch champions FC Twente want Portsmouth manager Avram Grant to replace Steve McClaren, who has left to manage German side Wolfsburg. However, Grant is being linked with the vacant post at West Ham.(Daily Star) 
Grant will be unveiled as the Hammers new manager next month. (the Sun) 
Ivory Coast and Chelsea striker Didier Drogba believes he can finish as the World Cup's top scorer.(Daily Star) 
England World Cup-winning goalkeeper Gordon Banks believes Fabio Capello should use David James as his number one goalkeeper for the World Cup.(the Guardian) 

AND FINALLY

England midfielder Steven Gerrard says team-mate Joe Cole is just as good as Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo - in training.(Daily Mirror) 
If you fancy owning the shirt worn by England's World Cup winning hat-trick hero Geoff Hurst, pop down to Harrods where it is set to go on sale on Friday. Hurst no longer owns the number 10 shirt he made history in at the 1966 World Cup final. The price tag? Only £2m...plus VAT! 
(Daily Express)
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Sunday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Double winners Chelsea will make a £40m move for Real Madrid's Brazilian forward Kaka. (News of the World) 
But Chelsea are bracing themselves for a £20m bid for left-back Ashley Cole from Barcelona and Real Madrid. (Sunday Express) 
The Blues face a battle with former manager Jose Mourinho, now Inter Milan manager, for Atletico Madrid's Argentina forward Sergio Aguero, 21.(News of the World) 
As well as Liverpool striker Fernando Torres, Spurs midfielder Luka Modric is one of Chelsea's summer transfer targets, giving the White Hart Lane club chairman Daniel Levy a major dilemma this summer after their Champions League qualification.(Mail on Sunday) 
But Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp will attempt to start his spending in preparation for the Champions League next season by signing Manchester City defender Micah Richards for about £6m.(Sunday Mirror) 
Tottenham also want Bordeaux full-back Benoit Tremoulinas, 24. (News of the World) 
Manchester City are planning to offer Liverpool £40m plus striker Emmanuel Adebayor and midfielder Stephen Ireland in exchange for Anfield stars Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres.(News of the World) 
Manchester City will raid Real Madrid for striker Gonzalo Higuain if they fail to land Torres from Liverpool.(Sunday Mirror) 
Manchester City defender Nedum Onuoha could join Sunderland for £3m after claiming City boss Roberto Mancini does not like him. (News of the World) 
Manchester United and Arsenal are battling to sign Everton central defender Phil Jagielka. Full story: (Sunday Mirror) 
And Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has added £20m-rated Ajax striker Luis Suarez to his shortlist of transfer targets after the Uruguay star scored 35 goals in 33 league games for the Dutch side. (News of the World) 
The Old Trafford outfit also want Marseille goalkeeper Steve Mandana, 25, to replace Edwin van der Sar, with the France number two likely to cost £10m. (News of the World) 
Liverpool's £9m-rated midfielder Yossi Benayoun has been told he has no future at Anfield by boss Rafael Benitez - alerting Tottenham and Sevilla.(News of the World) 
Aston Villa have joined Everton in the chase for Leeds striker Jermaine Beckford who will become a free agent on 1 July. (Sunday Express) 
Everton are poised to make a move to sign highly-rated Torino defender and Italian under-21 international defender Angelo Ogbonna.(goal.com) 
Meanwhile, Marseille's France winger Hatem Ben Arfa, 23, could make an £8m move to Everton. (News of the World) 
West Ham are trying to sign Crystal Palace goalkeeper Julian Speroni in a £1m deal.(News of the World) 
Speroni is likely to replace England goalkeeper Robert Green at Upton Park with £6m-rated Green set to be the first major player sold by West Ham this summer possibly to German side Schalke 04. (Mail on Sunday) 
Blackburn are planning to swoop for Burkino Faso striker Aristide Bance, 25, who plays for German side Mainz, with Stoke and Sunderland also keen.(News of the World) 

OTHER GOSSIP

England boss Fabio Capello was warned off picking injury-plagued Manchester United midfielder Owen Hargreaves in his World Cup squad by Old Trafford boss Sir Alex Ferguson. (Sunday Telegraph) 
Jonathan Woodgate's injury problems seem set to continue with the Spurs defender still unsure when he will be able to return to full training despite travelling to New York to work with a physio and then to Australia for surgery.(Mail on Sunday) 

AND FINALLY

Manchester City's owners are set to appoint top architect Rafael Vinoly as the man to design a £1bn sports and leisure complex on a 200-acre site around Eastlands which will transform east Manchester.(Sunday Mirror)
www.bbc.co.uk

Tuesday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Chelsea will match Manchester City in the battle for Liverpool's £50m-rated striker Fernando Torres. (the Sun) 
And Chelsea will make a £20m move to take Tottenham's Croatia midfielder Luka Modric to Stamford Bridge, allowing Portuguese midfielder Deco and out-of-contract winger Joe Cole to leave. (Daily Star) 
Manchester United hope to sign Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema for £25m and could use defender Nemanja Vidic as a £10m makeweight in a deal for the France star.(the Sun) 
But Manchester United will not break their wage cap for Benzema, whose wage demands are almost £200,000 a week. (the Independent) 
Meanwhile, left-back Patrice Evra could leave Manchester United this summer, with Real Madrid and Inter Milan ready to pay £18m for the 28-year-old France international. (the Sun) 
And Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is planning a summer clear-out, with striker Dimitar Berbatov, midfielder Michael Carrick and midfielder Anderson all likely to be shown the door. (caughtoffside.com) 
Manchester City are weighing up an offer for Sunderland's £20m-rated striker Darren Bent as manager Roberto Mancini looks to shake up his forward line for next season.(caughtoffside.com) 
William Gallas could quit Arsenal on Tuesday if the France defender rejects the club's offer of a new contract. (the Sun) 
Meanwhile, newly promoted German Bundesliga side St Pauli are poised to offer Arsenal defender Sol Campbell a lucrative one-year contract. (Daily Mail) 
Tottenham are considering an £18m bid for Sevilla striker Luis Fabiano as Spurs manager Harry Redknapp targets a world-class forward to boost the club's chances in the Champions League next season.(Daily Mail) 
Tottenham will sign Portsmouth goalkeeper David James on a free transfer this summer.(Daily Mirror) 
Bolton are lining up a £4m bid for Portsmouth defender Nadir Belhadj, 27. (the Sun) 
Blackburn are weighing up a £6.5m move for Bordeaux's Brazil winger Wendel.(Daily Mail) 
Wolves hope to sign Ivory Coast striker Aruna Dindane, 29, for £4m from French side Lens, once he has played in the FA Cup final for Portsmouth, where he is on loan. (Daily Mirror) 
Wolves are also set to pip West Bromwich Albion to the £2m signature of Belgium midfielder Jelle van Damme, who plays for Anderlecht. (Daily Mail) 
Middlesbrough boss Gordon Strachan is ready to make a move for Rangers' Scotland midfielder Kevin Thomson, 25. (Daily Record) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Juventus are on the brink of ditching their plans to lure Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez and are turning their attention to Sampdoria coach Luigi Del Neri. (Daily Mail) 
A Chinese multi-millionaire internet gaming tycoon from Shanghai has held provisional talks about buying Liverpool, although no offer has yet been tabled by Zhu Jun, founder of The9 Ltd. (the Independent) 
Wolfsburg expect to name former England boss Steve McClaren as their new manager. McClaren led FC Twente to the Dutch title this season. (Daily Mail)
Real Mallorca manager Gregorio Manzano is the surprise new candidate to replace Gianfranco Zola at West Ham. (Daily Mirror) 
Former Arsenal defender Tony Adams has agreed a three-year contract to manage Azerbaijan side Qabala FC. (the Guardian)
Hull chairman Adam Pearson will wait a month before appointing a new manager at the club. Iain Dowie had a contract until the end of the season but would like the job on a permanent basis.(the Guardian) 
Coventry, who sacked manager Chris Coleman last week, will make a move to take Paul Hart from Crystal Palace to replace him.(Daily Mirror) 

AND FINALLY

Chelsea captain John Terry received a single-word text message from former Blues boss Jose Mourinho after winning the Premier League title, it read: "Champagne." (the Guardian)
www.bbc.co.uk

Thursday

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Chelsea have been offered the chance to sign Real Madrid striker Gonzalo Higuain for £34m if they fail in their attempts to sign Liverpool forward Fernando Torres. (Daily Telegraph)
Nicolas Anelka is set to sign a two-year contract extension that will keep the French striker at Chelsea until 2013. (Daily Mail)
But Chelsea midfielder Michael Ballack looks set to leave the club with German outfit Schalke 04 showing an interest in the 33-year-old.(Daily Star)
The agent of AC Milan defender Thiago Silva has rejected speculation linking the 25-year-old with a move to Chelsea. (footylatest.com)
Champions League finalists Bayern Munich are keen to sign Manchester United winger Park Ji-Sung and are ready to bid £7m for the 29-year-old South Korean. (Daily Mail)
Manchester United have delayed finalising Wayne Rooney's new deal until after the World Cup. Barcelona and Real Madrid are both interested in the England striker who has two years left on his contract. (The Times)
Goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel could also be on his way to Bayern Munich after being told he can leave League Two champions Notts County.(Daily Mirror)
Arsenal are poised to sign Dinamo Kiev centre-back Pape Malickou Diakhate for £10m. (Daily Mirror)
Blackburn are the latest Premier League club to show an interest in Cardiff midfielder Joe Ledley who is out of contract at the end of the season. (Daily Mirror)
Birmingham and Bolton are battling it out to sign Fulham left-back Paul Konchesky. Konchesky currently only has 12 months left on his contract. (Daily Mirror)
West Ham are lining up a move for Shrewsbury's 17-year-old striker Tom Bradshaw. (Daily Mail)
Blackburn have put a £10m price tag on defender Phil Jones after agreeing a new five-year deal with the 18-year-old. (Daily Mirror)
Sunderland are the latest club to show an interest in Estudiantes' £6m-rated Argentina striker Mauro Boselli.(Daily Mail)
Arsenal-bound striker Marouane Chamakh has revealed he turned down offers from Tottenham and Liverpool to join the Gunners. (Daily Star)

Bolton are interested in Stoke striker James Beattie who has failed to make an impact at the club since his £3.5m move from Sheffield United. (Daily Star)

OTHER GOSSIP

Rafael Benitez will hold crunch talks with Liverpool chairman Martin Broughton on Thursday with his position as manager in the balance and the club reeling from Chelsea's bold move for forward Fernando Torres. (Daily Mail)
Benitez will demand the £70m raised from the sale of Torres for new transfers before deciding whether to stay at Anfield. (Daily Mail)
Spaniard Benitez seems set to reject the advances of Juventus who have changed the terms they have offered to him to tempt him away from Anfield.(Daily Mirror)
Liverpool co-owner Tom Hicks has admitted that it could take him two years to sell the Anfield club although he and fellow American George Gillett are actively seeking new investment.(Daily Mirror)
Inter Milan boss Jose Mourinho has rejected claims that he will return to the Premier League next season but has admitted he will be back. He said: "I will return for sure. Will it be next season? I don't think so, but for sure I will be back in England." (The Times)
Bury are lining up former Plymouth manager Paul Sturrock and MK Dons boss Paul Ince to replace Paul Simpson. (Daily Mail)
Middlesbrough manager Gordon Strachan wants former Leeds boss Gary McAllister to join his backroom staff.(The Sun)

AND FINALLY

England manager Fabio Capello has passed up the opportunity to spend the night in a "Presidential Suite" at the England team hotel near Rustenburg in South Africa, instead joining the players by booking into a standard room.(Daily Mail)
Manchester United and England striker Wayne Rooney has revealed that a bowl of Coco Pops is his ideal meal before a match. (Four Four Two)
Portsmouth midfielder Michael Brown looks set to miss the FA Cup final against Chelsea with his wife due to give birth on the same day.(The Sun)
www.bbc.co.uk
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Lorient 2 - 2 Monaco
Lyon 2 - 1 Auxerre
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Monday's gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP

Arsenal have handed captain Cesc Fabregas an unprecedented £3m payment and upped his wages by nearly 50% to £110,000-a-week to keep him at the club and warn off the advances of Barcelona.(Goal.com) 
Manchester City and Chelsea have enquired about the availability of Barcelona's Brazilian right-back Dani Alves, who is in ongoing contract negotiations with the Spanish club. (Sport Spanish newspaper) 

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is preparing a £35m bid to bring Atletico Madrid's Argentina striker Sergio Aguero, 21, to Old Trafford.(Caughtoffside.com) 
Meanwhile, Manchester United and Everton will battle it out to sign 17-year-old Dutch winger Bob Schepers from second division side SC Cambuur-Leeuwarden. (the Sun) 
Barcelona are interested in Arsenal left-back Gael Clichy and could offer Spanish striker Bojan Krkic as part of a potential swap deal.(Caughtoffside.com) 
Liverpool are ready to beat Chelsea, Tottenham and Arsenal for the signature of Charlton's 18-year-old striker Jonjo Shelvey for £3m.(Daily Mail) 
West Ham defender Herita Ilunga, 28, is a £2m target for Paris St Germain, while the French side also want Portsmouth's 27-year-old left-back Nadir Belhadj.(the Sun) 
West Brom want to sign Hull midfielder Jimmy Bullard in the summer but he may have to take a pay cut to stay in the top flight.(Daily Mail) 
Wolves, Wigan and Celtic have joined the long list of suitors hoping to sign Scunthorpe's £2m-rated striker Gary Hooper after Derby, Coventry and Ipswich also showed an interest in the 22-year-old.(Daily Mail) 
Ipswich manager Roy Keane wants to make Sunderland striker Daryl Murphy's loan move to Portman Road a permanent one.(Daily Mail) 
New Bristol City boss Steve Coppell is keen to sign two players he had at Reading, striker Dave Kitson, now at Stoke, and defender Ivar Ingimarsson, who is still at the Madejski Stadium.(Daily Mirror) 
West Brom are ready to offer a contract to Steven Reid, who is on loan at the Baggies from Blackburn.(Daily Mirror) 

OTHER GOSSIP

West Ham co-chairman David Gold says manager Gianfranco Zola "deserves another crack" at leading the club after securing Premier League survival. (Daily Mirror) 
Sunderland boss Steve Bruce claims striker Darren Bent should be in the England squad for the World Cup in South Africa this summer after scoring 25 goals for the Black Cats this season.(Daily Mirror) 
Inter Milan boss Jose Mourinho denies he will take charge of Ghana for their World Cup campaign.(Sky Sports) 
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger wants Sol Campbell to stay with the Gunners for another year and believes the defender could be valuable to England at the World Cup.(Goal.com) 
Relegated Hull will begin talks with banks to restructure their £35m debt in a bid to avoid administration and the subsequent 10-point penalty next season.(Daily Mirror) 

AND FINALLY

Brazil coach Dunga called police to his house to get rid of a comedy television crew.(Yahoo sports) 
Celta Vigo goalkeeper Yoel Rodriguez charged 40 metres up the pitch to harangue and shove team-mate Roberto Trashorras after conceding the only goal of the Spanish second division match against Villarreal B. (Yahoo sports)
www.bbc.co.uk

Monday gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP

Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas has held a secret meeting with Barcelona president Joan Laporta in Morocco where he is on holiday recovering from a leg fracture. The Spanish champions have denied that they have an informal agreement with Arsenal not attempt to attempt to buy the 22-year-old this summer.(imscouting.com) 
Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov is a summer target for AC Milan.(goal.com) 

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Manchester United defender Nemanja Vidic could be on his way to Juventus in a swap deal which would see goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon arriving at Old Trafford.(Footylatest) 
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is set to make a £9m bid for Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart after losing patience with current first-choice stopper Manuel Almunia.(caughtoffside.com) 
The Gunners may also move for Bolton defender Gary Cahill to replace William Gallas, who is out of contract at the end of the season.(Footylatest) 
Tottenham could tempt Everton playmaker Steven Pienaar away from Goodison Park with a £14m summer bid.(caughtoffside.com) 
Chelsea will make a decision on the future of on-loan defender Michael Mancienne this week but Wolves manager Mick McCarthy has warned that the England Under-21 star, who has been the star performer for the Molineux club this season, is not good enough to play for the London side yet.(Daily Mail) 
Ipswich have become the latest club to join the race for Scunthorpe's £1m-rated striker Gary Hooper.(Daily Mirror) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho will leave Inter Milan to replace Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson at the Old Trafford helm at the end of next season.(Daily Star) 
Manchester United skipper Gary Neville has warned Chelsea that his side are ready to pounce for the Premier League title if Carlo Ancelotti's side slip up again.(Daily Mirror) 
Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp is relieved that the club rejected advances from both Manchester City and Inter Milan for Welsh international defender Gareth Bale last summer.(Daily Mail) 
Manager Roberto Mancini insists Manchester City will clinch fourth spot and a Champions League place - despite their last-gasp defeat by Manchester United and Tottenham's win over Chelsea.(Daily Mirror) 
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez claims it was unrealistic to expect the Reds to win the Premier League title this season, despite last season's second-place finish.(Daily Mirror) 
Newcastle's Argentina defender Fabricio Coloccini faces a race to be fit for this summer's World Cup finals after he was almost certainly ruled out for the rest of Newcastle's Championship season with a hamstring injury.(Daily Mail) 
Burnley midfielder Robbie Blake is stalling over a new contract at Turf Moor as he is concerned he may struggle for regular first-team football next season.(Daily Mirror) 
AC Milan chief executive Adriano Galliani has denied that Brazilian Leonardo could be about to quit as manager after growing unhappy with a lack of money to make transfers.(Daily Mirror) 

AND FINALLY

Former Leeds and Manchester City defender Danny Mills completed the Brighton Marathon in a wheelchair, making his way round the course in in two hours, 43 minutes to raise money and awareness for the spina bifida charity ASBAH. (Daily Mail) 
West Ham boss Gianfranco Zola believes a tricky season in charge of the Hammers has given him the equivalent of five years of managerial experience.(Daily Express) 
Middlesbrough manager Gordon Strachan forced his team to leave behind £250 worth of pizza as they boarded the team bus to travel back from their 2-0 defeat by West Brom. The former Celtic boss was so annoyed by his team throwing away their faint play-off hopes that they had to go without their post-match food. (Daily Express)
www.bbc.co.uk

Sunday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

West Ham want to sign David Beckham should he consider a return to England after his recovery from injury.(News of the World) 
Manchester United are leading the chase to sign Spanish striker David Villa for about £35m after the World Cup.(Daily Star on Sunday) 
Arsenal are keeping a close eye on Wigan midfielder James McCarthy. Gunners boss Arsene Wenger has sent chief scout Steve Rowley to watch the 19-year-old Republic of Ireland player.(News of the World) 
Liverpool are prepared to replace Ryan Babel, Albert Riera and Alberto Aquilani with top new players in a bid to keep Fernando Torres at the club.(Mail on Sunday) 
Chelsea are set to pip Manchester City to the signing of 18-year-old Brazilian striker Neymar from Santos.(News of the World) 
Arsenal are planning an £8m bid for AZ Alkmaar goalkeeper Sergio Romero, who has impressed Wenger during the Dutch side's European campaign.(News of the World) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Jose Mourinho is very interested in becoming the next Liverpool manager, but would only take the job if American co-owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett leave.(News of the World) 
Manchester City will ask Mourinho to name his price to become their manager in the summer.(Sunday Express) 
Liverpool's Javier Mascherano is looking for a hefty pay rise of around £1m-a-year to stay at Anfield.(Sunday Mirror) 
Juventus could look to Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini to restore their club to its former glory following their exit from Europe.(Sunday Mirror) 
German midfielder Michael Ballack has been offered a new contract at Chelsea, which could keep him at the club until 2012.(IM Scouting) 
Dozens of English footballers are missing out-of-competition drug tests, while QPR and Bradford City have been fined for failing to provide accurate information to sampling officers over their players' whereabouts.(Sunday Times) 

AND FINALLY

Chelsea skipper John Terry admits that the club's top players fear the drop following the defeat by Inter Milan in midweek.(Sunday Mirror) 
Gareth Barry bemoans the loss of David Beckham to the England squad saying that the injured star is a "good bloke to have around".(Sunday Telegraph)

www.bbc.co.uk

Preston 2-2 Sheff Wed

Sheffield Wednesday scored twice in three minutes as they came from behind to earn a draw on manager Alan Irvine's return to Preston North End.
Billy Jones saw a shot blocked by Darren Purse but Neil Mellor reacted quickly to put North End ahead with a low right-foot strike. 
Lee Grant denied Mellor before Paul Coutts scored with a low strike. 
But Andy Lonergan failed to stop Tommy Miller's 30-yard strike and Marcus Tudgay equalised with a lofted finish. 
It was Irvine's first visit to Deepdale since he was sacked as Preston manager in December.
And his struggling team might have collected all three points but Lonergan made two excellent late saves to deny Leon Clarke.

www.bbc.co.uk

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Chelsea 0 - 1 Inter Milan (agg 1 - 3)

Jose Mourinho returned to Stamford Bridge in triumph as Inter Milan sent Chelsea crashing out of the Champions League.
Samuel Eto's clinical strike 11 minutes from time settled a scrappy encounter and sealed a place in the quarter-finals for Mourinho at the expense of the club he left in 2007 after a hugely successful three-and-a-half years. 
And the misery for Chelsea and coach Carlo Ancelotti was complete when Didier Drogba was sent off in the closing minutes after a penalty area clash with Thiago Motta. 
Mourinho's Inter were able to keep a subdued Chelsea at arm's length for the majority of a tense evening littered with fouls and spells of ill-feeling, with even the self-appointed "Special One" being targeted for abuse by the supporters who once idolised him as frustration spread around Stamford Bridge in the closing moments. 
He celebrated in relatively muted fashion when Eto'o capped a spell of Inter pressure with the crucial goal, after Diego Milito had missed the chance to seal Chelsea's fate even earlier.  
Chelsea had their moments in a frantic first half, with Michael Ballack shooting just wide and Nicolas Anelka seeing a close-range effort cleared off the line by Motta, while keeper Julio Cesar saved well from Florent Malouda after the break. 
And Chelsea were also left claiming they were victims of a clear injustice in the first half when Drogba was dragged to the ground by Walter Samuel as they wrestled to reach a corner. 
This apart, Inter were able to restrict Chelsea, who failed to show the wit and guile required to break them down, demonstrating the defensive discipline and resilience that is the trademark of any Mourinho team. 
He did not milk Inter's win at the final whistle, but Mourinho may just appreciate the irony of the fact that he has ended Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich's dream of bringing the Champions League to Stamford Bridge. 
For Ancelotti and Chelsea, the task is now to regroup and refocus their sights on the Premier League and the FA Cup.
www.bbc.co.uk

Chelsea-Inter

Well,I've been thinking a lot about this one.Main question for me is who has a bigger problem.

a)Turnbull-Chelsea
In my opinion,he's actually better option than Hilario,but this is not FA Cup and I'm not sure how he'll cope with the pressure.I have no doubt,Mourinho mentioned him in at least one interview just to make him additionally nervous.And his debut in CL (Apoel, 2-2 at home) wasn't so bright. Public say they're cursed.First Terry slipped in Moscow,then were robbed by that bold punk,this time maybe one Turnbull's mistake and 0-1 at the start.And I'm really scary when try to imagine Turnbull with Sneijder,Eto'o or Milito in one picture.

b)Defence line-Inter
It's not the same game.Pulling the shirt is a yellow card,everywhere except in Italy.Kicking in the someone's legs in 16 metres is penalty.Karate kick in the stomach is a red card.Referee is German and I'm not sure how much Maicon,Lucio,Samuel and Zanetti can follow this rules when face Drogba or Anelka for example.With Ballack even more harder.

I have no doubt for which side I'll cheer up,for Chelsea.Their advantage is team quality.They play as a squad,not like a bunch of spoiled stars.On the other side...You can love him or hate him,but he's simply genius.Jose Mourinho will be biggest strength for Inter.1.60 for a home win?Why then you don't bet on -1 ah at 2.05-2.15?What's the possibility for end with one goal margin for Chelsea?

Eventually,I've concluded there's no reason to be nervous about a game like this.Pint of a beer and enjoying in tv coverage.Also,I'm sure this game can not end peacefully.No chance.My bet will be on a red card.

Cheers,

Dule

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Monday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Aston Villa are considering a move for Manchester United's reserve Polish goalkeeper Tomasz Kuszczak. (Daily Mail) 
Reports in Italy claim Juventus would be prepared to let goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon sign for Manchester City for a fee in the region of £32m. (The Times) 
France winger Franck Ribery remains coy over his future at Bayern Munich amid continued interest from Chelsea, Real Madrid and Barcelona. Ribery's current contract expires at the end of the season, but German side Bayern have given him until the end of March to decide his plans.(IM Scouting) 
French striker Frederic Piquionne wants to remain in England after his loan spell at Portsmouth finishes at the end of the season. The 31-year-old looks set to leave cash-strapped Pompey but does not want to return to his parent club Lyon. (IM Scouting) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Rafael Benitez would earn an instant £16m payment if Liverpool sacked the under-pressure manager in the summer because of a clause in the Spaniard's five-year contract.(Daily Mail) 
But should the Anfield club accept an investment offer of £100m from private equity firm Rhone Group, the Reds could afford to hang on to their coveted stars Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres. (Daily Mail)
However, Benitez fears that striker Torres will seek to leave Anfield if Liverpool fail to finish fourth in the Premier League to qualify for next season's Champions League.(The Guardian) 
Inter Milan manager Jose Mourinho is claiming 'home advantage' ahead of Tuesday's Champions League quarter-final second leg tie at former club Chelsea. Mourinho, who led the Blues to six trophies in three years, said: "Everybody knows Mourinho doesn't lose at Stamford Bridge. My record is unbeatable." (The Sun) 
Meanwhile, Mourinho has refused to let his Inter players train at Stamford Bridge, fearing Chelsea spies may attempt to learn his tactical plans. The Italian side hold a 2-1 lead from the first leg.(Daily Star) 
Kasper Schmeichel, the son of Manchester United legend Peter, is good enough to play in the Premier League again, according to the keeper's Notts County manager Steve Cotterill. (Daily Mail) 

AND FINALLY

Hull manager Phil Brown has been ordered not to talk to his teenage midfielder Tom Cairney. Brown has received a letter from the 19-year-old's legal representatives after the club tried to open contract negotiations.(The Sun)

www.bbc.co.uk

Monday gossip

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Bayern Munich are set to open negotiations with their French star Franck Ribery as the Bundesliga side bid to stop the midfielder leaving for Real Madrid or Manchester United.(IMScouting)
Birmingham City are interested in signing Kris Boyd from Rangers, with Blues set to send scouts to see the striker play for Scotland against the Czech Republic on Wednesday. (Daily Mail)
Arsenal have become the latest Premier League club to monitor West Brom midfielder Graham Dorrans (on photo), who is believed to command a price tag of £6m. (Daily Mail)
John Rooney, the 19-year-old younger brother of Manchester United superstar Wayne, will have a second trial for Nigel Clough's Derby County this week.(Various)
Liverpool's highly-rated new 15-year-old striker, Raheem Sterling, who has been signed from QPR, was enticed to Anfield with a £300,000 contract offer. (Daily Mirror)
Sheffield United and Carlisle are both chasing York City striker Richard Brodie, who is joint top-scorer in the Blue Square Premier league with 20 goals so far this season. (The Sun)
Burnley manager Brian Laws wants to sign 29-year-old Cameroon international winger Salomon Olembe, who is a free agent after leaving Turkish team Kayserispor. (Daily Mirror)
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OTHER GOSSIP

Chelsea defender John Terry is seething over Craig Bellamy's insults, directed at the former England captain after Manchester City's 4-2 win on Saturday, saying: "People in glass houses shouldn't throw stones."(Various)
Inter Milan boss Jose Mourinho is keen to leave the Italian club to take over as the Real Madrid manager, should current boss Manuel Pellegrini be sacked by the Spanish giants, according to Spanish daily Sport.(IMScouting)
Aaron Ramsey's broken leg is not as bad as the fracture suffered by team-mate Eduardo, and the Wales international could return for the north Londoners in only six months' time.(Daily Mirror)
Midfielder Jack Wilshere will not be recalled prematurely to Arsenal from his loan spell with Bolton, despite his club-mate Ramsey's injury which has reduced Gunners boss Arsene Wenger's options in the centre of midfield. (Daily Mirror)
AC Milan midfielder Alexandre Pato may miss his team's Champions League second leg tie against Manchester United on 10 March after the Brazilian international hurt his right thigh in the Rossoneri's 3-1 Serie A victory over Atalanta on Sunday. (Daily Mail)
Blackburn striker El-Hadji Diouf was warned by police following his confrontation with Liverpool midfielder Steven Gerrard, which spilled into the tunnel at half-time, during the home side's 2-1 Premier League win at Anfield on Sunday.(Daily Mirror)
Cardiff City boss Dave Jones is considering leaving the financially stricken Championship club in the summer after being told by chairman Peter Ridsdale that he must sell players and rely on free transfers in the close-season.(Daily Mirror)
Tottenham midfielder Tom Huddlestone will have a scan on his right foot on Monday after leaving White Hart Lane on crutches following Spurs' 2-1 victory over Everton. (The Daily Telegraph)
Charlton midfielder Nicky Bailey has branded Southend manager Steve Tilson "a total disgrace" for claiming that he feigned injury in the incident which led to the sending off of the Shrimpers' Jean Francois Christophe in the Addicks' 2-1 away win on Saturday. (Daily Mirror)
England coach Fabio Capello, Liverpool's Rafael Benitez and Fiorentina coach Cesare Prandelli all feature on a Juventus shortlist to replace Alberto Zaccheroni at the Turin club in the summer. (IMScouting)
Celtic have lodged an appeal with the Scottish FA over Scott Brown's red card in Sunday's Old Firm derby defeat.(Daily Record)
Southampton have been given a record 44,000 ticket allocation for their Johnstone's Paint Trophy final against Carlisle at Wembley on 28 March. (The Sun)

AND FINALLY

Saturday's Stamford Bridge referee Mike Dean reversed the pre-match handshake protocol by asking Manchester City captain Shay Given to lead his away team down the Chelsea line, thereby avoiding an even more embarrassing situation for John Terry which would have seen the home skipper standing in front of Wayne Bridge demanding a reaction. (Daily Mail)
www.bbc.co.uk

Sunday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Manchester City are planning a £140m bid in the summer for Liverpool midfielder Steven Gerrard and striker Fernando Torres. (News of the World) 
Spanish striker David Villa is ready to quit Valencia for Chelsea this summer with Real Madrid indicating that they will stick with French star Karim Benzema. (News of the World) 
Manchester United are lining up a swoop for £10m-rated Sporting Lisbon midfielder Miguel Veloso. The versatile 23-year-old, who can also operate in defence, was watched by United scouts in Sporting's 2-1 Europa League loss at Everton on Tuesday.(Sunday Mirror) 
French striker Thierry Henry is set for Barcelona's exit door having just netted just twice in 13 appearances this season for Pep Guardiola's team.(Sunday Mirror) 
Chelsea are closing in on a £36m move for Benfica's 22-year-old highly-rated forward Angel di Maria. (News of the World) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Brazilian forward Robinho has revealed he rejected a move to Barcelona when he left Manchester City during the January transfer window. The former Real Madrid winger is on a six-month loan at his original club Santos.(imscouting.com) 
Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini is facing a players' revolt. The Italian admitted last week he had a spat with striker Craig Bellamy and it seems a growing number of players are unhappy with the sporadic nature of the training sessions.(Mail on Sunday) 
Real Madrid are keen on securing the managerial services of Jose Mourinho, but would have to pay up to €7.5m (£6.5m) to break his contract at Inter Milan. The pressure on Real's current coach Manuel Pellegrini increased following Tuesday's defeat by Lyons in the Champions League.(Sunday Times) 
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger will be in Real's sights should Pellegrini be shown the door and Mourinho decides not to go to Spain.(Daily Mail) 
Edwin van der Sar is close to signing a new contract with Manchester United after deciding to play on beyond his 40th birthday. The Dutch goalkeeper recently returned to action following a serious illness suffered by his wife Annemarie.(Sunday Mirror) 
Man City defender Wayne Bridge will happily line up with Chelsea's John Terry when England play Egypt in a friendly next month. A confidant of Bridge, whose ex-girlfriend was at the centre of an alleged affair with Terry, said: "He is still anxious to play for his country and won't allow the Terry furore to blind his judgement."(Sunday Express) 
Arsenal are considering breaking their contract structure by offering defender William Gallas a new two-year deal. The Gunners normally offer players aged over 32 one-year deals.(imscouting.com) 
Former England striker Gary Lineker believes Martin O'Neill is the ideal man to take over from Sir Alex Ferguson when the Scot decides to retire at Manchester United.(Daily Mail) 
Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp insists his side can pip Manchester City, Aston Villa and Liverpool to the fourth and final Champions League slot this season.(Daily Telegraph) 
Redknapp also looks set to reward defender Ledley King, who suffers from a chronic knee problem, with a new one-year contract extension in the summer.(Daily Mail) 
Manchester United winger Nani is set to hold talks over a new four-year deal on the back of a recent surge in form for the Portuguese star.(News of the World) 
Manchester City winger and £7m signing Adam Johnson says he wants to be the club's equivalent to Ryan Giggs.(Sunday Times) 

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AND FINALLY

Man United striker Wayne Rooney says Fabio Capello has been "fantastic" as England boss and revealed some of his training tactics. Rooney said: "He records everything and he once had Glen Johnson going over a tape of a throw-in for 30 minutes because he wasn't happy with it. I was almost falling asleep!" (Daily Star)
www.bbc.co.uk

Wednesday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger will not stand in the way of captain Cesc Fabregas if he wants to leave England and join Spanish side Barcelona, according to Spanish newspaper Sport.( imscouting.com) 
Arsenal midfielder Andrey Arshavin says he would understand if team-mate Cesc Fabregas leaves the Gunners for Barcelona in the summer, but hopes the midfielder will stay at the Emirates.(Daily Mail) 
Nadir Belhadj is an unlikely target for Barcelona after the Portsmouth defender was singled out for praise from Barca midfielder Xavi Fernandes.(Daily Mirror) 
AC Milan will use striker Klaas Jan Huntelaar as bait to land Manchester United's wantaway defender Nemanja Vidic.(Daily Mirror) 
Manchester City and Chelsea are on alert after Sevilla's Brazilian striker Luis Fabiano refused to rule out a move to the Premier League.(The Sun) 
Chelsea are plotting a £70m spending spree this summer to rejuvenate their squad with Borussia Dortmund's Serbia centre-back Neven Subotic, winger Angel Di Maria, of Benfica, Napoli midfielder Marek Hamsik and Bayern Munich midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger their main targets.(Daily Express) 
Tottenham's Jamie O'Hara is ready to quit the club in a bid to further his career. The midfielder is currently on loan at Portsmouth. (Daily Mail) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Crystal Palace boss Neil Warnock will ask the FA to take into account the stress he is under working for a club in administration when investigating the comments he made about assistant referee Trevor Massey after the FA Cup match against Aston Villa last Sunday. Warnock labelled Massey a "disgrace" after the decision to wrongly award Villa a corner from which they scored a late equaliser at Selhurst Park.(Daily Mirror) 
Former Crystal Palace striker Ian Wright says he would be tempted to return to Selhurst Park as a coach if Ron Noades takes over the cash-strapped Championship club.(The Sun) 
Wolves chairman Steve Morgan believes Liverpool would be debt-free had his 2004 bid for the Merseysiders been accepted.(The Times) 
West Ham co-owner David Sullivan has offered Birmingham chief Carson Yeung £500,000 to end their dispute - but the Hong Kong billionaire has rejected it.(Daily Mirror) 
Hull manager Phil Brown is ready to gamble on midfielder Jimmy Bullard to play in his side's crunch relegation clash at West Ham on Saturday.(Daily Mirror) 
Real Madrid winger Cristiano Ronaldo is officially the highest paid player in the world, according to a recent list published by Portuguese marketing agency Futebol Finance. The former Manchester United star picks up a basic gross salary of £11.3m. Manchester City striker Emmanuel Adebayor is the Premier League's highest earner on £7.4m, according to the list.(Daily Mirror) 
Former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho, who is now managing Inter Milan, says the Blues would have won more trophies under him had he not left the club in 2007.(Daily Mail)
Burnley boss Brian Laws has scotched rumours of a bust-up with Clarets midfielder Joey Gudjonsson, insisting the player still has a role to play in the club's battle against relegation.(The Sun) 

AND FINALLY

Liverpool's Glen Johnson has won every major trophy with the Reds - on Championship Manager. The right back has become a big fan of the computer game while recovering from his knee injury. "I'm sick of TV now," he admits. "When you're confined to the couch you'll look at anything. Thankfully, Championship Manager got me through."(Daily Mail) 
Queens Park Rangers are on the verge of signing reality TV star Hicham Abdellah. The 17-year-old striker has made it through to the semi-finals of Football's Next Star, whose winner gets a place at the Inter Milan academy.(Daily Mirror)

www.bbc.co.uk

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Nottingham F. 1 - 0 Sheffield U.

1 - 0 R. Earnshaw 4.min.

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AC Milan 2 - 3 Manchester U

1 - 0 Ronaldinho  3.min.
1 - 1 P. Scholes  36.min
1 - 2 W. Rooney  66.min.
1 - 3 W. Rooney  74.min.
2 - 3 C. Seedorf  85.min.