Mancini is still the front-runner
Chelsea are expected to have their successor to
Avram Grant 'lined-up' by Monday, according to reports, but any
appointment could be held up by legal wrangles in
Italy.
The Times claims that the Stamford Bridge hierarchy have warned
those players with uncertain contract situations, such as Frank
Lampard, to wait until the start of the week before furthering any
discussions, by which point the club's managerial situation will be
clearer.
Roberto Mancini is still the front-runner, but his appointment
could be held up by a legal dispute between the Italian and Inter
Milan, who confirmed they had sacked Mancini on Thursday. Mancini
made it clear on Friday that he intends to seek compensation from
his former employers, after they implied that 'recent events in the
news' had contributed to his dismissal.
The 'events' are almost certainly the leaking of a tapped phone
conversation Mancini had with a man who turned out to be involved
in drug deals. While there is no suggestion that Mancini was
involved in anything illegal, The Times claims: 'Sources close to
his camp suggest that the timing of the leaks - a few days before
the final Serie A match of the season two weeks ago - is
suspicious.'
Mancini said on Friday: "The club's decision [to sack me] is
based on events which have gravely hurt my reputation and my
honour. "I have given my lawyer the job of protecting my image,
[while] condemning the behaviour of the club in that it tried to
exploit false, illicit stories."
The Italian's lawyer, Stefano Gagliardi, picked up the tale: "We
abide by the national contract for coaches, which says that a club
has 10 days from an alleged breach to take action, while any event
referred to in the statement happened months ago.
"Mancini is angry and disappointed because he feels injured as a
person and troubled; he and his family feel affected by this
affair." Inter hope to appoint Jose Mourinho to replace Mancini
soon, and he is understood to have agreed a lucrative three-year
contract at the San Siro.
However, both appointments in the slightly circuitous job-swap
may be held up by the legal dispute. Meanwhile, another candidate
for the Chelsea job, Luis Felipe Scolari, claims he has had no
contact yet with the club over a potential appointment. He said on
Friday: "It is normal at the end of a contract for a coach to be
mentioned with other clubs.
"If I take a decision, I will tell my president. But I haven't
made a decision yet. My only decision now is to work until after
the European Championship. "My president is Gilberto Madail. He is
my representative. If he had any contact with Chelsea, I haven't
been told about it."
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