SOCCER CLUBS OF THE WEEK

Inter Milan president Massimo Moratti said he would be open to former coach Jose Mourinho one day returning to the club.
Moratti was speaking in reply to Real Madrid coach Mourinho having claimed earlier that he could see himself returning to coach in Italy again some day.
But while Moratti wasn’t ruling out such a possibility, he [...]

Italy coach Cesare Prandelli said Friday he was pinning his hopes on Sampdoria’s talented forward Antonio Cassano.
Italy play Estonia in a Euro 2012 qualifier in Tallinn later on Friday with a much changed side from the one that was humiliated at the World Cup a couple of months ago.
And the former Fiorentina coach believes the [...]

Inter Milan’s Brazilian teenage talent Coutinho has pleaded not to be dubbed the new Ronaldinho as he begins his Italian adventure.
Coutinho has been much hyped in Italy since Inter bought him two years ago from Vasco da Gama when he was just 16.
He remained in Brazil until this season as Italian league rules stipulate that [...]

Former Italy coach Roberto Donadoni has applied for the Aston Villa manager’s job, according to his UK representative Charles Collymore.
Donadoni is keen on managing in England and has expressed an interest in succeeding Martin O’Neill at Villa Park.
The 46-year-old has some club management experience after guiding Livorno to Serie A safety before taking the reins [...]

Juventus coach Luigi Delneri has been defending his exuberant off-season transfer dealings.
While Serie A rivals AC Milan were relatively quiet in the transfer market until the last few days when they landed two coups, bringing superstars Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Robinho to the club, Juve’s policy seemed more one of quantity than quality.
Delneri brought in 10 [...]

Marco Borriello’s agent has revealed that Manchester City tried to sign the 28-year-old before he joined Roma on loan.
Borriello completed a loan move from AC Milan to Roma on transfer deadline day, following the arrivals of Robinho and Zlatan Ibrahimovic at the San Siro.
“With the arrival of Robinho and Ibrahimovic at Milan it was [...]

Swedish international striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic has revealed he rejected a possible move to Manchester City over the summer.
Ibrahimovic completed an initially loan move from Barcelona to AC Milan last week. The deal could turn into a permanent move next summer.
Manchester City were heavily linked with a move for the former Inter Milan striker over the [...]

Fabio Capello launches his quest for redemption on Friday knowing only a convincing victory by a makeshift England team over Bulgaria can hush a growing band of critics clamouring for his dismissal.
After an extended honeymoon where Capello was lauded for presiding over an imperious World Cup qualifying campaign, a familiar storyline has unfolded in the [...]

Vuvuzelas have been banned from UEFA matches, European football’s governing body said on Wednesday, as it sided with chanting and singing in Europe’s stadiums.
UEFA told its 53 member associations that it had adopted the ban to protect “Europe’s football culture and tradition”, adding that “the atmosphere at matches would be changed by the sound of [...]

Liverpool reportedly failed in an attempt to sign Tottenham striker Roman Pavlyuchenko on transfer deadline day.
Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson was keen to bring in Pavlyuchenko in order to strengthen his attack, but Spurs boss Harry Redknapp was not ready to let the Russian international leave the club.
Hodgson wanted Pavlyuchenko to partner with Fernando Torres in [...]