Inter upset as Mourinho steals limelight in finest hour

May 29, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Inter Milan should be basking in the glory of a record-breaking season but instead the manner of Jose Mourinho’s departure has left a nasty taste in the mouth.

A first Champions League triumph since 1965 and an unprecedented Italian treble have been overshadowed by Mourinho’s unashamed desire to join Real Madrid and his verbal volleys against what he saw as the cynical Italian game.

The outspoken Portuguese all but announced he was leaving for Real when Inter were still celebrating on the pitch after their 2-0 European Cup final win over Bayern Munich last Saturday.

Winning the most-coveted of trophies at Real’s Santiago Bernabeu stadium only served to increase the drama which envelopes the brash former Chelsea coach, leading fans around the world to love him and hate him in equal measure.

Inter president Massimo Moratti, who on Friday agreed a compensation deal to allow Mourinho to join Real, had very little time to enjoy his team’s stunning achievements.

“Certainly his timing was not great,” Moratti, who sees England coach Fabio Capello and Fulham boss Roy Hodgson as potential replacements, told reporters.

“Both for him and the fans, he could have opted for a course of action a little different.”

Mourinho cried when Inter wrapped up a fifth straight Serie A title on the final day of the season against Siena and the waterworks from the usually cool coach were also on full power after the Bayern game.

He has spoken often of his attachment to the Inter team and fans, despite his hatred of the Italian media and soccer establishment, but his swift departure was not a surprise given he did the same thing when leaving Porto for Chelsea in 2004 following their European Cup success.

Despite not managing to fully appreciate his club’s moment of glory because of Mourinho, Moratti would not have swapped his coach for the world given what they have achieved.

The club president knew he was signing a livewire when Mourinho rolled up two years ago.

“He worked hard, seriously, with all his soul and he won so much. This situation does not ruin at all my esteem and friendliness towards him as a person. The door is always open,” Moratti added.

(Editing by Ed Osmond; to query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)

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Late show Go puts Japan in Davis Cup spin

May 6, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Australia’s hopes of an instant Davis Cup success on clay have received a major boost with Japan’s top-ranked player, Go Soeda, yet to arrive in Brisbane.

He flies in to Brisbane Thursday morning – just 30 hours before the qualifying tie kicks off at Pat Rafter Arena on Friday afternoon.

Soeda’s 11th-hour arrival, after he returned from a challenger tournament victory in Ecuador via Japan, leaves his team with a major selection headache.

Japan captain Eiji Takeuchi says he will wait until he sees how the world number 155-ranked player looked before choosing his two singles players for Friday’s opening battles.

Already without their best player, Kei Nishikori, who is coming back from injury and opted to focus on preparing for the French Open, the visitors may now be forced to line up against Lleyton Hewitt and Peter Luczak with their second-stringers.

Australian captain John Fitzgerald will announce his singles selections before Thursday’s draw but Hewitt is a certainty and world number 71 Luczak is expected to tip out Carsten Ball.

After seeing his players rush to Brisbane last week, Fitzgerald was stunned by Soeda’s travel schedule which he believes will negate his current form.

“It’s interesting,” he said. “All I can do is get our boys ready and we feel that they are.

“(Soeda) is probably in pretty decent form but who knows – maybe that’s cancelled out when you fly from there to Japan and then down.

“That’s a lot of flying and it’s across time zones and when you get in a day before that’s a big ask and then to get on to a different surface and play five sets.

“And especially when we expect him to play doubles as well.

“That’s a big ask for anybody and we’re glad it’s not our problem.”

World number 193 Yuichi Sugita is sure to be one of Japan’s singles players while Tatsuma Ito and Takao Suzuki would be called on if Soeda is overlooked for first-day action.

Tennis Australia chose clay due to Japan’s lack of play on the surface, as well as Luczak’s proficiency on the red dirt.

The last time a Davis Cup tie was held in Brisbane was almost a decade ago, on a temporary grass court at QEII Stadium, which had previously been branded a potato field by Russian Yevgeny Kafelnikov in the 1999 semi-final.

Pat Rafter Arena’s temporary clay court is receiving far better reviews following six days of practice.

“It’s a low-bouncing clay court but that’s normal for a temporary court and it’s holding up really well,” said Fitzgerald. “The court is not breaking up at all so I think it’s going to be a good court

“We’ve played on courts in Europe where clay is their specialty and we’ve played on some ordinary courts there – this appears to be a lot better than the majority there.”

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Success not guaranteed to keep Mourinho at Inter

April 27, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Inter Milan’s coach Jose Mourinho gestures during the Italian Serie A soccer match against Atalanta… Enlarge Photo Inter Milan’s coach Jose Mourinho gestures during the Italian Serie A soccer match against Atalanta…

Inter Milan are desperate to keep coach Jose Mourinho but the colourful Portuguese could be on his way whether or not they secure an unprecedented treble.

AS Roma’s home defeat by Sampdoria on Sunday put Inter back in command in the Serie A title race with three games left, while the champions also battle Roma in the Italian Cup final on May 5 for the fifth time in six years.

Champions League glory remains the major aim but Mourinho’s future is far from clear despite Inter holding a 3-1 lead heading into Wednesday’s semi-final second leg in Barcelona.

The highly successful former Porto and Chelsea coach hates the Italian soccer establishment so much that he refuses to hold domestic news conferences in case he clashes with the aggressive media and receives another touchline ban for his outspokenness.

“I am very happy at Inter but not in Italian football,” he told Britain’s Sky Sports television last month, prompting renewed talk he wants to return to his beloved England.

The crafty 47-year-old caused more mystery and mischief after last week’s win over Barca, which put Inter a step closer to their first European Cup success since back-to-back wins in 1964 and 1965.

“Anything can happen in the second leg. We can go there and lose the game and lose the coach,” he cryptically remarked.

Mourinho has consistently said he wants to win a league title in Spain to complement his triumphs with Chelsea and 2009 scudetto with Inter, leading to constant speculation linking him with the revolving door of managers which is Real Madrid.

Barcelona would look an unlikely destination given coach Pep Guardiola’s success and Mourinho’s rocky relationship with the Nou Camp since leaving as assistant coach in the late 1990s.

ACID TONGUE

The greying charmer has said that one day he would return to Chelsea, but no one was really sure if he was joking, and has hinted that the Manchester United job would appeal.

But given Alex Ferguson has said he had no immediate plans to retire, Mourinho has no idea how long he may have to wait to have a shot at the Old Trafford hot-seat making Real, Liverpool, or seeing out his Inter contract until 2012 more likely.

Despite his acid tongue and abrasive nature, often with his own team, Inter are certain his mercurial managerial abilities outweigh the Mourinho circus which has led some Serie A rivals to say Italy would be better off without him.

Sulley Muntari, Mourinho’s first signing at Inter in 2008, has been blown away by the coach’s tactical acumen — so much so it sounded like an advert for other interested clubs.

“We have done an amazing season. We didn’t believe it but you know it hasn’t finished yet, we can win all three or we can win one or two or maybe we could lose all three,” the Ghana midfielder told Reuters.

“We have full confidence in ourselves and now we have this great manager and he can transform the team in any way. We are happy about what we have done so far.”

Inter president Massimo Moratti, excited about a possible first treble and vindicated over his decision to replace Roberto Mancini with Mourinho two years ago, is unperturbed by the rumours linking his master coach with a move away.

“Mourinho has a contract with Inter but even ignoring this, I am sure he will happily remain,” Moratti told reporters.

“The newspapers talk about Mourinho as a character but they forget that, above all, he is a great professional.

“He takes care of every minor detail. He is very focused on the work in training and I believe he deserves all the money he gets from his contract.”

Ultimately the decision rests with Mourinho and given his unhappiness in Italy and the fact he walked away from Porto in 2004 after their Champions League triumph, anything is possible.

(Editing by John O’Brien; To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)

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Fed Cup specialists Italy power into final

April 26, 2010 By Leave a Comment

(Reuters) – Fed Cup holders Italy again showed their sum is greater than their parts after easily dismissing the Czech Republic and storming into another final on Sunday.

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World number 15 Flavia Pennetta, who has never threatened in the individual grand slams, displayed her special attachment to the team competition by defeating Petra Kvitova 7-6 (7-3) 6-2 to give Italy an unassailable 3-0 lead in the semi-final.

Sara Errani then beat Lucie Hradecka 6-4 6-2 in a dead singles rubber before teaming up with Francesca Schiavone to hammer Hradecka and Kveta Peschke 6-2 6-4 in the doubles to seal a 5-0 whitewash.

Italy, with no great tennis tradition, lifted the Fed Cup in 2006 and 2009 and have now reached four finals in five years.

Only a brave gambler would bet against them beating the United States or Russia in November’s final.

“It’s an incredible emotion. We are again in the final and all the team are euphoric,” Pennetta said courtside after her second singles win on Rome’s clay in two days.

Detractors have alleged that Italy’s Fed Cup success is largely down to other countries not prioritizing the team event given tennis is usually such an individual pursuit.

Americans Serena and Venus Williams did not even make themselves available for last year’s final and top names continue to pull out on a regular basis.

However, Italy captain Corrado Barazzutti believes his team’s dedication and passion should be highlighted instead of the flaws in the tournament.

“I’m not a great captain, they are a great team. It’s right they receive the applause of Rome,” said Barazzutti, part of the only Italian men’s team to win the Davis Cup in 1976.

“They have written another chapter in the history of Italian tennis. Another final is extraordinary. I think it will take many years to have another team like this one.”

The Italian men are now down in the Europe/Africa zone of Davis Cup while their female counterparts excel in their version of the tournament.

Pennetta and Italy number two Schiavone are leagues ahead of their countrymen on the circuit but the fact the pair lie consistently outside the women’s top 10 and only win second-tier tournaments may explain their Fed Cup bond.

It is the only high-profile competition they have a good chance of winning and each victory boosts the sport in a usually soccer-obsessed nation.

“It’s great for Italian tennis and for all us players,” Pennetta said as she danced a jig of delight with the Italian flag.

(Writing by Mark Meadows in Milan, Editing by Dave Thompson)

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