Milan Mandaric has closed the door on a potential return to Portsmouth.
Speaking after reports linking him with a homecoming to troubled Fratton Park, the Leicester chairman has revealed he cannot meet the expectations of the club.
Speculation had been mounting, fuelled in some part by quotes from Mandaric himself, of a sensational return to the south-coast outfit as they look to turn their dismal fortunes around.
But Mandaric has now confirmed that will not be the case.
“It would unfair of me to speculate about going back to Portsmouth, I think Portsmouth should take care of their own problems now,” he said.
Schwarzer hopeful of eventual transfer
Fulham goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer said he has not given up hope of a move in January to pursue his ambition to play Champions League football.
The Australian was linked with a four-million pound move to Arsenal in the summer but Fulham manager Mark Hughes refused to let him go.
Schwarzer, 37, said he can see time running out and admitted the recent disappointment of the failed move was among the toughest times of his career.
“It was probably one of my hardest periods ever,” he said.
“This is the only time in my career I have ever tried to force an issue. I don’t have time on my side. I’m almost 38 and I want to fulfil an ambition.”
Mainz coach staying grounded
Mainz coach Thomas Tuchel has insisted his feet are firmly on the ground despite his side’s record-equalling winning streak which has left them top of the table with seven consecutive victories.
But with just under a quarter of the season gone, Tuchel is keeping his side grounded and has said his goal is just to consolidate on their great start.
“Our goal is to establish ourselves in the Bundesliga and we are on the right track,” Tuchel said.
“I am pleased that our supporters are not thinking about the Champions League or Bundesliga title.”
No beer fest for beaten Bayern
After one of their worst ever starts to a season, Bayern Munich will not be making their traditional visit to their home city’s world-famous beer festival, the club said.
“Due to the sporting situation, coach Louis van Gaal has decided there will be training at 11.30 a.m. instead,” the club said in a terse statement.
Visiting the beer festival “would not make any sense now”, Bayern’s sporting director Christian Nerlinger said after seeing his team slump to a second straight league defeat at Dortmund on Sunday.
The defeat to Dortmund was Van Gaal’s third loss of the season and left last year’s Bundesliga kings and Champions League finalists 12th in the table, 13 points shy of leaders Mainz.
Mihajlovic job not at risk
Fiorentina supremo Andrea della Valle insisted that coach Sinisa Mihajlovic will not be replaced following the 1-2 upset at home to Palermo on Sunday.
“We thought we’d overcome the difficulties, but I would not dramatise anything,” Della Valle said.
“The coach is not the real problem here. It’s not easy to change after many years.”
Fiorentina are currently fourth from bottom in the standings.
Club director of sport Pantaleo Corvino saw things from a different aspect.
“When things go badly we are used to look at other options,” he said.
“At half-time, the coach was good at changing things because in the first half there was too much fear.”
Ben Arfa loss a blow to Hughton
Newcastle coach Chris Hughton will be without Hatem Ben Arfa for much of the rest of the season after the Frenchman broke his leg in a challenge with Man. City’s Nigel de Jong.
Ben Arfa, impressive since his arrival on loan from Marseille, suffered the injury after just four minutes of Newcastle’s 2-1 Premier League defeat by City at Eastlands on Sunday.
While the Magpies manager chose his words carefully about De Jong, there was no doubt he was also unhappy about that incident.
“I thought it was a challenge that didn’t need to be made,” he said.
“Everybody will have their own opinions, I’m quite sure. It’s been shown (on television) enough times.”
Beckham scores for Galaxy
David Beckham scored his first goal in over a year to help lift the Los Angeles Galaxy to a 2-1 win over Chivas USA on Sunday.
Los Angeles led 1-0 when Beckham scored from a free-kick. It was Beckham’s first goal of the season and his first since September 9, 2009, against Toronto.
“I knew as soon as I hit it, it was in,” Beckham said.
Galaxy coach Bruce Arena was relieved to see the highest-paid player in the league finally score.
“Where Beckham hit that spot to the goalkeeper’s left is the place to put that ball,” Arena said.
“The goalkeeper was definitely not able to see the ball there.”