Real Madrid coach JOSE MOURINHO "appeared to flip speculation that he is destined for Chelsea on its head today by telling reporters that he had 'considered staying on' at Real Madrid," according to Simon Rice of the London INDEPENDENT. It has "appeared for some time that Mourinho will leave the Bernabeu this summer." Mourinho had previously done little "to play down talk of a move to Chelsea," which will be managerless come the end of its current campaign. In a press conference ahead of Wednesday's La Liga clash with Malaga, Mourinho was again coy on his future. Mourinho said, "I have considered staying on." Reports in Spain "had accused Mourinho of involving himself in public spats with key players in a bid to force the board to sack him and hand him a pay-off." However, he denied those claims. Mourinho: "I will only earn money until the last day I work here. I don't want a single euro more" (INDEPENDENT, 5/7).
ZIDANE COULD HELP ANCELOTTI: FOOTBALL ESPAÑA reported Real Madrid President FLORENTINO PEREZ has chosen ZINEDINE ZIDANE to become an assistant to current Ligue 1 Paris St. Germain and possible future Real Madrid coach CARLO ANCELOTTI. Ancelotti is "increasingly being linked with a move to the Madrid bench at the end of the season, just as Mourinho is expected to leave the Santiago Bernabeu" (FOOTBALL ESPAÑA, 5/7).
BENITEZ UNCERTAIN OF CHELSEA FUTURE: EFE reported Chelsea coach RAFE BENITEZ "has assured that 'all the world knows who will coach' Chelsea next season," referencing the rumors regarding Mourinho. Benítez: "You all know that next year there will be another coach, and I believe all the world knows who is going to be here. It's not my issue what happens here next year, I'm only concentrating on doing my job" (EFE, 5/7).
