Milan giants battling for Rennes starlet

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho could have become Liverpool boss in the early 2000s, according to Brendan Rodgers.

Mourinho, whose Chelsea side face Premier League leaders Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday, has always enjoyed a strong rivalry with the Merseyside club.

Liverpool manager Rodgers worked under Mourinho during the Portuguese s first stint at Chelsea in 2004-07.

The Northern Irishman believes, despite Mourinho s mind games, he has the utmost respect for Liverpool.

There is no doubt that there was a period back in the early 2000s, that this club was a possibility for him, Rodgers said.

Maybe resources were different and he had a better opportunity to go elsewhere but make no mistake, he knows the size and prestige of Liverpool.

There has been a h…

Real Sociedad defender Inigo Martinez said their Basque derby with Athletic Bilbao holds greater significance given the latter s success.

Bilbao are poised to secure fourth spot in La Liga and clinch UEFA Champions League football for the 2014-15 season, after Sociedad competed in the continental group stages earlier this season.

Real Sociedad are still Europe-bound, with a spot in some form of the UEFA Europa League next season guaranteed; whether it is starting in the group stages, play-off or third qualifying round is yet to be decided.

But Martinez said winning the Basque derby at San Mames on May 11, would be some consolation for Sociedad fans.

That could be what hurts our fans most of all, that we re not going to the Champions League and Bilbao are in fourt…

There are reports in the media that on-loan Everton winger Royston Drenthe is looking for a return home to Feyenoord.

The 25 year-old has been on-loan at the Premier League club this season from Spanish champions Real Madrid, where his contract expires in the summer.

Trouble

When Royston Drenthe arrived at Everton like many other Evertonians I was excited to see a player of such promise at our club.

I knew that Drenthe has talent but I also knew that he had problems at virtually every club he had been at.

When Drenthe joined Real Madrid from Feyenoord he was considered one of brightest young players in Europe. He had a decent first season at the Bernabeu before falling out with club staff after being dropped for a game against Valencia.

T…

Sam Allardyce has attributed West Ham s excellent Premier League form to a more clinical edge in front of goal this season.

West Ham flirted with relegation during the 2013-14 campaign before eventually recovering to finish 13th.

Part of the problem at Upton Park was the team s troubles in the final third, with the club scoring just 40 goals last term.

This season has seen a marked improvement on that front, though, with the club riding high in fourth having scored 26 goals in 15 top-flight matches.

And manager Allardyce is thrilled with the way the team is converting their chances.

What we ve got this year is that we re taking our chances more, he said ahead of Saturday s visit to Sunderland.

You play in the best way you can with the te…

Borussia Dortmund chief executive officer Hans-Joachim Watzke has accused referee Danny Makkelie of arrogance over his penalty call in the club s Champions League exit to Chelsea.

The Bundesliga side slipped out of Europe after failing to build on their 1-0 first-leg advantage at Stamford Bridge, with a 2-0 defeat on the night meaning a 2-1 aggregate loss to their Premier League hosts.

Chelsea s ultimate winner came from a Kai Havertz penalty, but only when Makkelie allowed the forward to retake it due to encroachment after he missed his first attempt.

Watzke however felt the Dutch referee was guilty of arrogant behaviour in his decision-making, and suggested he was too easily swayed from his gut decisions by a boisterous home atmosphere.

You always had …

Xavi has given a strong indication Barcelona will make a sensational move to sign Lionel Messi next year.

Barca boss Xavi stated earlier this week that it would be impossible for the Catalan giants to bring club legend Messi back to Camp Nou during this transfer window, given he is under contract with Paris Saint-Germain.

The Argentina captain joined PSG on a two-year deal last year after sensationally ending his 21-year stay with the Blaugrana, who could not afford to keep him.

Barca president Joan Laporta on Thursday declared that he thinks the LaLiga giants will make this aspiration a reality when asked about the prospect of signing Messi.

Xavi wants his former team-mate to return to Barcelona, but says it will not happen while he is contracted to t…

Competition: Serie A

Market: Sampdoria to beat Torino

Odds:

Serie A returns this weekend for yet another massive round of games that will only bring more goals and excitement. The league table has remained so tight that a single win can see a side rise up a number of places in the table, and with this in mind, Torino travel to take on Sampdoria on Saturday.

Sampdoria have been in good form this season and they are looking to take a Europa League place for next year. After 22 games they have won 11, drawn four and lost seven times, while they have scored 41 goals and conceded 31 times. In their last five they have won three, drawn once and lost once which has seen them onto 37 points. Sampdoria are currently three points clear of AC Milan in sev…

Bacary Sagna still harbours hope of an unlikely call-up for France s World Cup squad after choosing the heart and soul of football over money by joining Serie A strugglers Benevento.

Sagna had been without a club since leaving Manchester City at the end of last season, as Pep Guardiola s defensive clear-out saw the Frenchman not offered a new contract.

With a wealth of experience to offer, Sagna had been linked with a host of clubs across the globe following his release by City.

But the France international opted for Benevento, despite their ominous position at the bottom of the Serie A table, having picked up just seven points from 22 matches.

Sagna acknowledges his decision may surprise some, but he believes choosing Benevento allows him to get back in …

Romania coach Victor Piturca has left Cristi Chivu and Adrian Mutu out of his 22-man squad unveiled on Monday for 2010 World Cup qualifiers against Lithuania and the Faroe Islands.

Romania captain Chivu is still recovering from a shoulder operation, while striker Mutu, just back from an elbow injury, hurt his ribs during training on Saturday with his Italian club Fiorentina.

Both also missed last month s friendly win over Latvia.

Also missing for the first two qualifiers are Shakhtar Donetsk s Razvan Rat, Florentin Petre of Russian club Grozny and Steaua Bucharest s George Ogararu.

Romania, who are in Group 7 along with France, Serbia and Austria, host Lithuania on September 6 in the northwestern city of Cluj and travel to the Faroe Islands four days…

Joe Cole has warned his England team-mates not to underestimate Croatia for the second tournament in a row as they prepare for a World Cup qualifier in Zagreb on Wednesday.

Cole, who came off the bench to score twice against Andorra on Saturday, hopes his decisive intervention in England s opening qualifier will result in him being promoted to the starting line-up for a match that could really set the tone in the battle for top spot in group six.

England lost 2-0 in Zagreb two years ago in a Euro 2008 qualifying match and went on to miss out on a place in the finals as Croatia topped the group ahead of Russia.

But Chelsea midfielder Cole, who also scored as a substitute against the Czech Republic last month, believes England have learned from their mistakes.<…