Football news

Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho has hit out at the latest round of transfer speculation and accused the Spanish press of trying to “destabilise” his team.

Mourinho was angered by reports linking Madrid with a summer move for Man. City striker Sergio Aguero, with Gonzalo Higuain going the other way.

Mourinho said: “You (the press) want to destabilise the squad. Last week I had signed for City, Casillas was going to Schalke, Higuain to Malaga...”

On the Higuain story, he added: “The front cover of AS is false. If you want me to comment on false stories then forget it.”

Sam will stay

West Ham manager Sam Allardyce will remain in charge even if the club fails to secure promotion this season, according to vice-chairman Karren Brady.

The Hammers are winless in six home matches after Saturday’s 4-2 defeat against Reading, which left them four points adrift of the second-placed Royals with six games to go.

Brady said: “Yes he will still be in charge next season – definitely.

“Chairman David Sullivan wanted Sam – they have a very good relationship.”

The former Bolton boss has come under fire following a run of just two wins in eight matches in March.

Bosses to decide over shisha pipes

Arsenal and QPR were leaving it to Arsene Wenger and Mark Hughes to decide whether to reprimand Marouane Chamakh or Adel Taarabt for being pictured with shisha pipes after Saturday’s game between the sides.

Gunners striker Chamakh and Rangers playmaker Taarabt were photographed holding the pipes in a bar following the match at Loftus Road. The Morocco team-mates both featured in QPR’s shock 2-1 win over Arsenal.

Taarabt opened the scoring with his first ever Premier League goal, while Chamakh came off the bench late on.

Leonardo revels at Paris SG

Leonardo insists he would have signed the contract to become PSG’s sporting director “with both hands” had he known that the club would begin April with a great chance of winning the Ligue 1 title this season.

The Brazilian returned to Paris last summer with ambitions to make the club a major force at home and in Europe but admits things have gone even better than he expected, with PSG second behind Montpellier on goal difference, though Montpellier have a game in hand.

Leonardo said: “When I arrived last year, I was already ambitious to win the league. But if you had told me we would be second on April 1 I would have signed with both hands.”

Park predicts Asian WCup win

Manchester United’s South Korean midfielder Park Ji-Sung has predicted that an Asian country will bring home the World Cup in a decade.

Park said Asian teams still had a way to go before they could triumph in football’s most prestigious tournament, but said they were improving quickly.

“There is a gap between us and the world-class level, so we still have to improve. But in the past few years, the quality of Asian football has got better and we have proved we can deal with world-class teams,” he said.

“So, if Asian teams continue to develop, one day they will have success at the World Cup... maybe in 10 years time an Asian country will win the finals.”

Swansea City mourn Chinaglia

Swansea have expressed their sadness at the death of former striker Giorgio Chinaglia at the age of 65. Chinaglia was found dead at his home in Florida on Sunday. He had suffered complications following treatment for a heart problem.

Chinaglia was born in Italy but was raised in Cardiff and started his professional career with Swansea, making six appearances for the club between 1964 and 1966.

Swansea said: “Everyone at Swansea is saddened to hear that Giorgio Chinaglia has passed away. He made six appearances for us and lifted the West Wales Senior Cup in 1965.”

Final set after security switch

The football association of Poland has picked the venue for the country’s cup final, after security fears forced it to drop plans to hold the April 24 match in the capital Warsaw.

The PZPN said it had chosen the southern city of Kielce, which unlike Warsaw is not a European Championship venue.

The 2011 edition in Bydgoszcz was marred by hooliganism, stinging the authorities into action amid accusations that they had failed to take the problem seriously.

The game will pit the winners of the semi-finals between Ruch Chorzow and Wisla Krakow, and second-division Arka Gdynia and current league leaders Legia Warsaw, whose fans have a tough reputation.