Today's other soccer stories in brief
Van Gaal in the Bayern picture
GERMAN CHAMPIONS Bayern Munich confirmed their interest in Dutch coach Louis van Gaal but said he was only one of several candidates to take over from next season.
Bayern sacked coach Jürgen Klinsmann last week after 10 months following a string of disappointing results and heavy defeats that led to them being eliminated from the Champions League and the German Cup and failing to top the Bundesliga.
Former Bayern coach Jupp Heynckes replaced Klinsmann for the remainder of the season but Bayern said a new coach would take over from July 1st.
“Van Gaal is one of them (candidates),” Bayern general director Karl-Heinz Rummenigge told the Munich newspaper tz yesterday. “But there are several other candidates as well.”
COACH PAUL Le Guen will leave Paris St Germain at the end of the season after the club decided against renewing his contract.
“Paris St Germain today announce their decision not to renew . . . the contract of their coach Paul Le Guen that expires on June 30th, 2009,” the Ligue 1 team said yesterday.
Le Guen, who played 17 times for France from 1993-95, joined PSG in January 2007 after leaving Rangers.
Hyypia not ruling out Anfield return
SAMI HYYPIA has revealed a desire for regular first-team football was behind his decision to leave Liverpool after 10 years – but he has not ruled out a return to Anfield in a coaching capacity.
The veteran defender will join German club Bayer Leverkusen on a two-year deal when his current contract expires in the summer.
The Finland star has revealed he did not want manager Rafael Benitez to make promises he could not be sure of keeping over the amount of games he would be able to play next season.
The 35-year-old faces stiff competition from Jamie Carragher, Daniel Agger and Martin Skrtel and has not played for Liverpool since the 4-1 win at Manchester United in March. Hyypia said: “The main reason is I still think I’m young enough to play football and I know chances to play here would be limited.”
Benitez offered Hyypia another year’s contract and the chance to join the coaching staff, but the defender wants to play as long as he can.
Newcastle willing to take loss on suspended Barton
NEWCASTLE UNITED are willing to take a big loss on the €6.5 million they paid for Joey Barton to get rid of the midfielder this summer and are confident of finding a buyer. Blackburn Rovers have expressed interest in the 26-year-old and Stoke City, Bolton Wanderers and Portsmouth are also thought to be prepared to bid, despite the player’s long list of misdemeanours.
Barton has played his last game for Newcastle following an argument with the manager, Alan Shearer, after his sending-off against Liverpool last Sunday and senior club officials have confirmed they are desperate to get rid of him.
Blackburn’s manager, Sam Allardyce, signed Barton for Newcastle almost two years ago is ready to offer him another chance. Allardyce claimed at the time that he could control the player’s volatile temper. Newcastle confirmed yesterday that Barton, who cannot play in the club’s remaining three games because of a ban for his red card, has been suspended until further notice and will not be welcome at the training ground.
That decision was made by Shearer, who is furious at reportedly being called a “shit manager” by Barton in front of his team-mates at Anfield, and was endorsed by the chairman, Derek Llambias, and the owner, Mike Ashley.
The club had been keen to offload Barton last summer when he was jailed for assault following an incident outside a McDonald’s restaurant in Liverpool.
Putin backs Russia World Cup bid
RUSSIAN PRIME Minister Vladimir Putin gave his government’s approval to the Russian Soccer Federation’s bid for the 2018 World Cup.
“Prepare a formal request for a Russian bid to host the World Cup in 2018,” Putin told Russian federation chief Vitaly Mutko yesterday. “It must be a very serious bid that is backed by the government.”
Fifa said in March that 13 countries had expressed an interest in hosting the 2018 or 2022 World Cups. The hosts for both events will be chosen in December next year.
Marseille go for Deschamps
FORMER FRANCE captain Didier Deschamps will take over as coach of Olympique Marseille next season, the Ligue 1 title contenders said yesterday. Captain of the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000 winning France teams, Deschamps will replace Belgian Eric Gerets, who previously announced he was stepping down at the end of the season.
Deschamps is the last captain to have lifted a trophy for Marseille, winning the 1993 Champions League.
United quiet on Ribery rumour
MANCHESTER UNITED have distanced themselves from reports of a €70 million bid for Bayern Munich’s France international Franck Ribery.
Reports have claimed an approach has been received for Ribery from United. One of the world’s best players, Ribery looks certain to leave the Allianz Arena this summer after a disappointing campaign at Bayern which included a Champions League hammering by Barcelona and the dismissal of coach Jürgen Klinsmann.
Alex Ferguson is an admirer of the player and he would be a perfect replacement for Cristiano Ronaldo should he quit Old Trafford for Real Madrid. However, with Ronaldo apparently stating his “Real Madrid dream was dead” last weekend, Ribery’s chances of ending up at United appear to be remote.
