Chelsea manager/trainer
Carlo Ancelotti became the first Italian coach to win the Premier League last weekend as his team thrashed Wigan 8-0 to beat Man Utd. to the top. Ancelotti is also set to take the Londonclub to the 'double' next weekend with the FA Cup final against Portsmouth at Wembley. In the meantime the Reggio Emilia born former player flew to Naples to give evidence in the Italian 'calciopoli' football bribery trials. He was questioned by the prosecution who began to examine him over his time at both Milan, and his previous spell at Juventus. In particular Ancelotti reflected on the 2004-05 season. The coach denied knowledge of any conditioning of the league fixtures.
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Back in London,
West Ham have dismissed coach
Gianfranco Zola after a negative seson in which the club nearly faced relegation. They finished fourth from bottom, five points above Burnley. The club issued a statement asfter the sacking of Zola saying "The Board of Directors would like to thank him for his contribution and wish him well for the future." The Sardinain leaves the club with spirits high however stating that "Despite what has been a very difficult period for me, I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at West Ham."
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Roberto Mancini's position as coach/manager at
Manchester City seems safe however as club bosses assure he will remain. Mancini is already planning to bring his wife, Federica, over to England in September and is now renting a house after spending his first few months in Manchester in a city-centre hotel. Club chairman Khaldoon al-Mubarak, said "(Roberto) has done an excellent job, coming in mid-season and organising the team". City have won a place in next year's Europa League.
And on World Cup level,
England coach
Fabio Capello has made several surprise choices in his 30-man squad to go to South Africa in June. Tom Huddlestone, Scott Parker, Adam Johnson and Michael Dawson are the surprise names to make the squad. Surprisingly, the England coach has selected just five forwards, with Darren Bent joining Wayne Rooney, Emile Heskey, Jermain Defoe and Peter Crouch, although missing out on the inital squad does not necessarily mean exclusion from the World Cup. Once his final 23-man group is named Capello is still allowed to make changes due to injury, and replacements do not have to come out of the original 30.
