Football news

Kenny Dalglish will return to Liverpool as a member of manager Rafa Benitez's backroom staff.

Dalglish, 58, widely regarded among the club's greatest-ever players, will have an advisory function with an emphasis on developing young players, reports said.

The Scot, who managed Liverpool from 1985-1991, would not be involved in coaching the first team.

Although the club made no an-nouncement, a statement is ex-pected before the end of the season.

Benitez, who recently signed a new long-term deal to remain at Anfield until 2014, is eager to improve the youth structure at Liverpool's Academy and Dalglish is keen to be involved, according to well-placed sources.

'King Kenny' won six league titles with Liverpool as well as three European Cups.

Ballack to miss Germany tour

Germany look set to lose captain Michael Ballack for their tour to China and the United Arab Emirates in summer after his club Chelsea qualified for next month's FA Cup final on Saturday.

Germany leave for the Far East on May 26 and will play China in Shanghai on May 29 before facing the UAE in Dubai on June 2, but they look set to be without Ballack who will be involved in the FA Cup final at Wembley on May 30.

Ballack is unlikely to travel with the squad, which is using the tour to prepare for next year's World Cup in South Africa, having helped Chelsea reach the final with a 2-1 win over Arsenal on Saturday.

Inter are the best, says Mourinho

Inter's battling 1-1 draw at Juventus on Saturday did not clinch the Serie A title although it did leave coach Jose Mourinho basking in a warm glow.

His players, although not exceptional, matched their bitter rivals throughout thanks to sheer physical power and were moments away from recording a famous victory that would have all but sealed a fourth straight scudetto.

"I like playing in the stadium of an historic club, drawing and seeing all the joy of a team that can return home with a 10-point advantage," Mourinho told reporters.

"Inter have shown why we are at the top of the table, why we are the best, why we are the strongest... Juve's joy at the end of the match is a great demonstration of their respect for us."

Giordano appointed new Pisa coach

Serie B side Pisa fired coach Giampiero Ventura after conceding a fifth successive defeat in the league and appointed former Napoli great Bruno Giordano in his place on a short-term deal.

On Saturday, Pisa slipped further down the standings after a 1-0 upset to Cittadella.

"The contract with Giordano lasts until June 30, 2009," Pisa said.

Giordano returns to management after he led Messina in the 2006-07 Serie A campaign.

Calderon a dinosaur - Fergie

Alex Ferguson dismissed reports linking Cristiano Ronaldo with a move to Spain in summer and labelled Ramon Calderon, the former Real Madrid supremo, a 'dinosaur'.

Calderon told reporters last week that one of the world's best players would be arriving at the Santiago Bernabeu in summer, saying that a deal was already in place thanks to the groundwork he himself had put in before he left.

Calderon resigned from his post in January after allegations that he helped rig votes over the team's proposed budget.

"All the talk about Cristiano was coming from Calderon," Ferguson said. "He is a dinosaur. He has been buried. He is just trying to cause trouble for the new president."

Grafite warns of possible pitfalls

Striker Grafite played down any title hopes after he struck twice to guide Wolfsburg to a 2-1 win over Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday which kept them three points clear at the top of the Bundesliga with six matches left.

Wolfsburg, on a 10-game winning streak, and Grafite, top league scorer with 22 goals in 28 matches, both seem unstoppable but the Brazilian warned of possible pitfalls ahead.

"Our aim from the start of the season was to be in the top five," he said.

"Nothing changes from that target despite our success. With six matches remaining we have to fight each match and, of course, if we are on top in the end then that would make us very happy."

I will keep Wolves up - McCarthy

Mick McCarthy insists he can keep Wolves in the Premier League next season after his side clinched promotion with a 1-0 win over QPR.

McCarthy's men have held one of the two Championship automatic promotion places since the third match of the season and they finally crossed the finish line on Saturday to return to the top-flight after a five-year absence.

Having failed to save Sunderland from bottom-of-the-table finishes in 2003 and 2006, McCarthy knows he has a point to prove.

"Of course I do, given a sporting chance. If I'm given six million pounds to spend like I was last time, then we'll all be in trouble," he said.

"Last time I think I had a bit of naivety. We didn't get bashed up, we didn't get a lot of points, but I didn't really get a chance."