Football news

Antonio Conte has been linked with a move to coach Juventus or Sampdoria next season but for the time being the former Italy player is dedicating all his time to see Siena getting back to the top flight.

“At this time of the year you hear these kind of rumours. They are just words and at the moment I have to just keep thinking about getting Siena promoted,” Conte said.

“I have said on more than one occasion that I am concentrated on Siena and we are close to achieving our objective.”

Conte has another year left on his Siena contract.

Ancelotti denies Roma link

Carlo Ancelotti has brushed aside reports linking him with a move to Roma. The Chelsea boss was in the Italian capital this week and his presence increased speculation that he could join the Serie A outfit next season.

Ancelotti said: “I have not spoken to any club. I don’t want to talk about the future until this season is over.

“I can assure you that I will not be coaching in Italy next year.”

Ancelotti won the Italian title with Roma as a player in 1983 and has made no secret that he would love to manage them one day.

Splash hit for Stoke’s Etherington

Stoke winger Matthew Ether-ington is taking to the water in a bid to be fit for the FA Cup final. Etherington has returned to the training ground as he steps up his rehabilitation from a hamstring injury.

While he will sit out the league match against Arsenal tomorrow he might yet make the Wembley showdown with Manchester City.

Etherington is already reaping the benefits of using the club’s hydrotherapy pool with an in-built treadmill.

Assistant manager Dave Kemp said: “Matty can work flat out – it is good for his heart and lungs as well as his legs. We have eight days left until the final and will have to wait and see if he will be ready.”

Hughes tracking Espanyol striker

Fulham boss Mark Hughes said he had been on a scouting mission to watch Espanyol this week after being strongly linked with a move for striker Pablo Daniel Osvaldo.

Hughes jetted out to Barcelona to take in Espanyol’s win over Athletic Bilbao, in which the highly-rated Osvaldo scored.

Hughes was reportedly joined at the Estadi Cornella-El Prat by Manchester United’s chief European scout – Alex Ferguson’s brother Martin – Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp and Everton’s David Moyes.

Osvaldo, 25, has also been valued by some at £12m, making Fulham very much underdogs for his signature should a bidding war ensue.

We’ll fight to keep Young, say Villa

Acting Aston Villa manager Gary McAllister said the club would do everything possible to keep Ashley Young , reportedly a transfer target for Manchester United and Liverpool.

McAllister admitted that the prospect of playing in the Champions League may well prove irresistible to Young but the Aston Villa caretaker manager insists that the player’s departure is not a foregone conclusion as yet.

“I don’t think it’s inevitable Ashley will go,” McAllister said.

“We will do everything we can to keep him here. All players have ambition to play in the Cham-pions League.

“We can’t give them that. It’s a goal but we all know how difficult it is to get up there.”

Hammers preparing to lose stars

West Ham bosses have admitted they expect to lose several of their England internationals if they are relegated from the Premier League.

Footballer of the Year Scott Parker, as well as goalkeeper Robert Green, Matthew Upson and Carlton Cole all figure in the national set-up.

And Hammers co-owner David Gold admitted it would be “un-realistic” to expect them to play their football in the second tier Championship.

Gold said: “It’s unrealistic to ask an England player to play in the Championship. It impacts on his career. Would I try to prevent it? Of course, I would try but you would have a one in 10 chance.”

Real eye Bayern midfielder Altintop

Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho has added Bayern Munich’s Hamit Altintop to his shopping list for the summer transfer window.

Mourinho hopes the versatile and powerful 28-year-old will give some strength to the midfield as the club look to rebuild for next season, the AS newspaper said.

Altintop’s contract with Bayern ends on June 30 and Real hope his transfer would therefore be “a straightforward operation,” it said.

Real are already eyeing another German-based Turkish midfielder, Borussia Dortmund’s Nuri Sahin, and are close to reaching a deal with Espanyol to sign Spanish striker Jose Maria Callejon for €5 million, Spanish media said this week.