Former Mainz boss Thomas Tuchel will replace Jurgen Klopp as coach of Borussia Dortmund this summer, the Westphalian club have announced.
Klopp revealed last week that he would be leaving Dortmund at the end of the season, saying he no longer felt he was the right man to take them forward.
Tuchel, who took charge of Mainz a year after Klopp left the club to join Dortmund in 2008, has been out of work for a season having taken a break from the game.
Spurs planning Mirallas raid
Tottenham are keen to sign Everton’s Kevin Mirallas with Aaron Lennon going to Goodison Park permanently, reports said.
Mauricio Pochettino, the Spurs manager, has been monitoring the 27-year-old Belgian winger who has only one more year left on his current contract.
Sunday Mirror said Pochettino is pushing Spurs recruitment chief Paul Mitchell to seal a deal with Everton for the signing of £15m-rated Mirallas and Lennon moving the other way.
Absent players
Former Leeds captain Trevor Cherry has branded the six Leeds players who withdrew at short notice from Saturday’s match at Charlton a ‘disgrace’.
Italians Mirco Antenucci, Giu-seppe Bellusci, Dario del Fabro and Marco Silvestri, Frenchman Souleymane Doukara and Albanian Edgar Cani all told beleaguered head coach Neil Redfearn they were injured and could not travel to London as Leeds lost 2-1.
“I would sack them and take the PFA (Professional Footballers’ Association) on,” he said.
“I don’t think players can do that, it’s scandalous and it’s just another story for Leeds United that is disgraceful.
“I don’t know exactly the players and it might be one or two of them have got a good excuse, but it sounds too stupid to be true.”
Celtic shocked
David Raven’s extra-time strike against Celtic took Inverness into their first Scottish Cup final with a 3-2 win as the Hoops’ treble hopes ended in controversy, yesterday.
Virgil van Dijk opened the scoring for Celtic but they were denied a penalty seconds before the break when Caley defender Josh Meekings prevented a Leigh Griffiths header going in with his arm a yard from goal.
To compound Celtic’s outrage, their goalkeeper Craig Gordon was sent off early in the second half for tripping Marley Watkins to concede a penalty, which Greg Tansey scored past replacement Lukasz Zaluska.
Edward Ofere’s low drive in the 96th minute was cancelled out by Celtic substitute John Guidetti’s free-kick but with four minutes remaining full-back Raven struck from close range to set up a May 30 meeting with Championship side Falkirk.
Real’s Modric set to miss rest of season
Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric has suffered knee ligament damage and could miss the rest of the season.
Modric went off injured during the second half of Real’s 3-1 victory over Malaga on Saturday.
The loss of the Croatian is a major blow for coach Carlo Ancelotti ahead of the Champions League quarter-final against Atletico Madrid on Wednesday with the tie level at 0-0 after the first leg.
Modric is expected to miss six weeks which would rule him out of the final six games of the La Liga campaign with Real trailing leaders Barcelona by two points.
He could be available for the Champions League final on June 6 if Real make it.
Reading boss defends goalkeeper Federici
Reading manager Steve Clarke sympathised with goalkeeper Adam Federici whose horrendous mistake in extra time gifted Alexis Sanchez the winning goal in the FA Cup semi-final on Saturday.
Federici, who had a fine game for the Championship underdogs making seven saves including one majestic stop from a Gabriel header in the second half, left the field in tears after Arsenal battled to a 2-1 win to reach a record 19th FA Cup final on May 30.
“This is the life of a goalkeeper and Adam Federici is a top goalkeeper,” said Clarke.
“His performances in the Championship have been crucial for this football club. We stick by him. We don’t lose because of Adam, we lose as a team and we win as a team.”
Tevez’s move to Boca not on for now
Carlos Tevez yesterday made it clear he does not intend to leave Juventus this summer to return to his first club Boca Juniors.
On Saturday, Tevez was on the mark as Juve beat Lazio 2-0 and the Argentine striker celebrated with a chicken dance – a replica of the move he did to mock River Plate while playing for Boca.
Many thought it was a hint he’s heading back to Argentina. But Tevez denied that.
“I had promised it to some friends and I keep my promises,” Tevez said.
“There is too much talk about me at the moment. I just want to think about Juve. When I make a decision about my future, the fans will be the first to know. I have not set a deadline.”