Azzurri Some Day for Claudio Ranieri

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Claudio Ranieri has expressed an interest in managing Italy, saying he could “never rule out” taking over his country’s national team.

The 64-year-old’s remarkable success with Leicester City has significantly boosted his profile and led to Carlo Tavecchio, the president of the Italian football federation, suggesting he could one day lead Italy to World Cup glory, and even suggested Ranieri, who was born in Rome, could succeed Antonio Conte after he leaves the national team following their participation at Euro 2016 and joins Chelsea.

“I hope Ranieri can win a World Cup with Italy, that would be the best,” said Tavecchio. “I’m speaking in an abstract way, of course, and not necessarily about the next World Cup. Claudio is still young and will have time on his side.

“Have we thought about him as a replacement for Conte? It’s him who should be thinking about us!”

Ranieri’s previous experience of international management was with Greece, a post he was sacked from prior to taking over at Leicester last July.

“I’ll admit I was curious about coaching a national team, but my experience with Greece was sufficient,” Ranieri said in an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport. “Of course, leading Italy would be something else. I’d never rule that out, and I’d like that very much. And Leicester, after all, have blue shirts just like the Azzurri.”

During the same interview, Ranieri admitted that he would have accepted a job in “the Football League” after being let go by Greece, such was his desire to return to England having previously managed in this country with Chelsea.

“Two other Premier clubs had contacted me but then they made other choices. Leicester convinced me because of their sense of leadership, their programs, and their facilities. They are perfectly organised,” said Ranieri. “When I met the players I told them: ‘I’ll take a bit of time to know you all because you are so many, but you will need to know a single person: me. I ask only one thing: that you give all you can for each other’. And they did.”

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Premier League Interest - Zlatan

Zlatan Ibrahimovic says Premier League clubs are interested in signing him from French champions Paris St-Germain.

The 34-year-old, who is out of contract in the summer, has been linked with Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal.

"There has been interest and we will see where it leads," he said. "But it would have to be like a marriage, both sides have to want it as much."

Ibrahimovic has won league titles in four European countries.

After helping Ajax win two Dutch titles at the start of the century, he won two Serie A championships with Juventus - both later revoked because of the Calciopoli scandal - and three more with Inter Milan.

He then moved to Spain and claimed the La Liga title with Barcelona before returning to Italy to win the 2010-11 Serie A with AC Milan - his eighth successive league title.

After a season without silverware at Milan in 2011-12, Ibrahimovic moved to PSG, and the French side have won the past four Ligue 1 titles.

After scoring four goals in a 9-0 thrashing of Troyes earlier this month to seal this year's title, Ibrahimovic said: "For the moment, I will not be at PSG next season. I still have a month and a half left here.

"If they replace the Eiffel Tower with a statue of me, then I will stay."

Ibrahimovic has scored 62 international goals in 111 appearances, including a sensational 30-yard overhead bicycle kick in a 4-2 friendly win over England in 2012.

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Manchester United Earnings on Course

Manchester United have announced a quarterly profit of £18.6m with a total revenue of £133.8m, up 26.6 per cent on the same period last year.

The results mean United remain on course to become the first British club to earn more than half a billion pounds in one year despite a disappointing campaign in the Premier League and early exit from the Champions League.

United's 1-1 draw at Chelsea on Sunday left them six points adrift of the top four with 13 matches remaining, but their their second-quarterly financial results released on Thursday showed the club expects revenue for the year to hit up to £510m. No British club in history has recorded such a figure.

Commercial revenue for the second quarter was £66.1m - an increase of 42.5 per cent on the previous year, while broadcasting revenues were also up 31.3 per cent and sponsorship revenue for the second quarter was up £1.6m to £37.4m.

United vice-chairman Ed Woodward said: "Our strong commitment to investing in our squad, youth academy and the broader club are ultimately underpinned by our financial strength and the hard work and dedication of everyone at the Club.

"Our solid results off the pitch help contribute to what remains our number one priority - success on the pitch."

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Pep Apologises for Confusion

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Pep Guardiola has apologised if his public statements that he would like to move to the Premier League next season have put pressure on any managers in England’s top flight.

The Bayern Munich manager announced he would be leaving the German club at the end of the season in December and confirmed that, for his next job, he would like to manage a club in England. This has led to speculation that Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea are interested in the Spanish coach. 

The two Manchester clubs have permanent managers in situ, leading some to suggest it would have been better if Guardiola had kept his plans to himself.

Speaking in Doha, where Bayern are on a training camp, Guardiola took the chance to apologise.

“I am sorry,” he said. “Normally, in my career as a trainer, as a player, I respect a lot my colleagues, so I am sorry. It wasn’t my intention.”

Guardiola was then pressed on which club he would like to end up at next season, but he refused to be drawn, telling reporters his only focus for the remainder of this season was on Bayern’s chase for domestic and European honours.

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Guardiola und Die Lange Abschied

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Pep Guardiola says he is leaving Bayern Munich to manage in England.

The former Barcelona boss recently announced he would not extend his contract in Germany when it expires at the end of this season.

Guardiola, 44, has been linked with Premier League clubs Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal.

"I want to experience a new city and I want to work in England. I have several offers from England but I haven't signed anything yet," he said.

"I have an opportunity to work in England. I'm at the right age and I feel it is the right move for me.

"That is the reason I have taken this decision."

Bayern chief executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge had suggested Guardiola already knew which club he would be joining next season.

But on Tuesday, the Spaniard said: "I haven't decided."

Former Real Madrid and Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti, 56, is taking over at Bayern, with Guardiola describing the Italian as a "perfect choice".

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FA Face Questions About Eva

Football Association officials are to be questioned next month on their handling of anti-discrimination cases – including that of the former Chelsea doctor Eva Carneiro.

Members of the FA’s Inclusion Advisory Board (IAB) say they have “deep concerns” about a number of cases and will question the chief executive, Martin Glenn, and director of governance, Darren Bailey, about the issues raised at a meeting in November.

Top of the list of concerns will be the FA investigation into the independent board member Heather Rabbatts, the chair of the IAB, which was launched after a complaint from two FA councillors about her criticism of the FA’s handling of the Carneiro case.

Carneiro parted company with Chelsea after being dropped from first-team duties following criticism from manager José Mourinho for going on to the pitch at the referee’s request to treat the injured Eden Hazard on the opening day of the season.

Independent members of the IAB, including the former Chelsea players Graeme Le Saux and Paul Elliott, have written a joint letter to the FA chairman Greg Dyke and all FA councillors backing Rabbatts and criticising the investigation. The letter, a copy of which has been seen by Press Association Sport, states: “The FA Inclusion Advisory Board [IAB] members have expressed deep concerns about a number of recent anti-discrimination cases.

“To this end, we are looking forward to meeting with Martin Glenn and Darren Bailey to discuss these issues in more depth and in the hope that we can continue to support the FA and its values to see inclusion and diversity developed across the game. In the meantime, we wish to express our unwavering support for Heather Rabbatts and further, to seek reassurance that she still has the full support of the FA board.

“We were concerned to see two members of the FA Council question Heather’s integrity this week with an FA enquiry now under way. Their seeming priorities surely serve only to distract from the real issues at stake within football such as fairness, equality and respect.”

The letter says Rabbatts’ mandate is to champion equality and diversity in football. It adds: “We would question whether Heather Rabbatts has any charge to answer to and therefore, the IAB calls for this matter be concluded promptly so that she can continue unhindered in her many good works at the FA IAB helm and as a member of the FA board.”

Rabbatts has been heavily critical of the FA’s handling of Carneiro’s case and expressed “major concerns” about the disciplinary process, which saw Mourinho cleared of making discriminatory comments towards the doctor, after it emerged she had not been interviewed by the FA. She also questioned why no charges had been brought against any club after Carneiro suffered sexist abuse from opposing fans.

It is understood two FA members of the 121-strong FA council – the 82-year-old life vice-president Ron Barston and 70-year-old law lecturer Richard Tur, the chairman of the Oxford University FA – sparked the investigation into Rabbatts.

Under FA rules, only two members of the council are required for a formal investigation to be launched. The ultimate sanction if any wrongdoing is found would be Rabbatts being removed from the FA board, though any such move would have to be confirmed by her fellow directors.

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Pulis Promises McClean Chat

West Brom manager Tony Pulis says he will speak to winger James McClean if he thinks the wide man was to blame for a post-match melee which marred the win over Sunderland.

The Baggies secured a crucial 1-0 win over the Black Cats thanks to a second-half goal from Saido Berahino.

And former Sunderland man McClean provoked anger among the visiting players when he celebrated in front of the away fans at the end of the match.

McClean has claimed he was hung out to dry by Sunderland following his refusal to wear a Remembrance Day poppy in 2012.

And the Republic of Ireland international, who left Sunderland in 2013, was jeered by the visiting fans throughout the game.

He was confronted by Danny Graham and Lee Cattermole after his post-match celebrations, sparking a fracas involving players from both sides.

Pulis did not see the brawl and said: "Let me have a look at it first.

"I'd heard a roar or whatever and didn't know whether the players were involved in something.

"If he's out of order, I'll speak to him.

"He played really well today, James. He's settled in really well and is a smashing lad. The lads have really taken to him.

"He's not the sharpest tool in the box, and that's not being disrespectful to him. But he's a smashing lad."

Victory moved Albion seven points clear of the drop zone and Pulis preferred to focus on that aspect of the afternoon.

"I think the win was more important than anything else today," he said.

"And I thought, second-half, we played a lot better than we did first-half. We had gone away from getting clean sheets, so to get a clean sheet was good."

And Pulis also thought it was important to secure a first home league win of the campaign. 

"We played really well against Everton for 58 minutes, conceded a goal, and then went to pieces," he said. "We were 2-0 up and then conceded three goals, which was a real kick in the stomach.

"We needed a win, that is what we have got today, and hopefully that will give the lads confidence playing out here."

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Xavi Had Premier Dreams

Xavi has admitted he would have liked to have played in the Premier League, adding that he would probably have chosen Manchester United over Liverpool if the opportunity had ever arisen.

The four-time Champions League winner left Barcelona in the summer to join Al-Sadd in Qatar having spent his whole career at Camp Nou. Now 35, that is likely to be his last club but Xavi admitted he would have loved to have experienced life in the Premier League, adding that his choice of side would have been one “with a great history”.

“To be honest, the Premier League is a big attraction for any player. It’s brilliant - the stadiums, the pitches, the fans and how they live football over there – it’s all incredible over there,” he told Eurosport.

“There are many great sides like Chelsea, Manchester United,Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool. If I had to select one, it would have to be a club with a great history; maybe Manchester United or Liverpool.

“I know that there are clubs who have emerged quite recently, like Manchester City for example, but United is my favourite historically-speaking,” he added.

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