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Van Gaal: Euro success won’t reverse decision

Bayern Munich boss Louis van Gaal insists not even success in the Champions League would reverse last week’s decision for him to leave the club at the end of the season.

Bayern announced last Monday the Dutchman would be leaving by mutual consent in the summer after a disappointing season in which they have failed to build on last year’s Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal Double.

The Champions League represents their only realistic chance of silverware but Van Gaal dismissed the notion that a Wembley win on May 28 could prompt him to prolong his stay at the Allianz Arena.

“It would change nothing,” he said ahead of the second leg of Bayern’s last-16 tie against Inter Milan. “We have decided to split because we have a different philosophy. We don’t want to go through it all again.”

Mario Gomez’s late goal at the San Siro handed Bayern a 1-0 advantage heading into the return against the team which beat them in last season’s final in Madrid.

“If we win the Champions League then I have done my job well,” Van Gaal added. “Then the fans are happy, the club is happy and Bayern can move on with their next coach.”

Van Gaal’s time in Bavaria has been mixed but the veteran admits to sadness at their relationship being curtailed 12 months earlier than initially planned.

He said: “I think Bayern is a super club, possibly the best organisation in the world. It is the kind of environment where a coach wants to work.”

Bayern thrashed Hamburg 6-0 on Saturday in their first game following the decision to part with Van Gaal and they will present Inter with a formidable challenge, especially as key men Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery have found form and fitness.

The Nerazzurri players have kept a low profile since Friday’s disappointing 1-1 draw at Brescia but president Massimo Moratti has backed his team to overturn the one-goal deficit and reach the quarter-finals.

He said on Monday: “We believe we can do it, absolutely. Also because we did well in the game in Milan. We made a mistake only in the last minute, but otherwise we were set out well and so I hope we can do the same there – but with the result going our way this time.”

Inter are likely to be without former Bayern centre-half Lucio, who strained a buttock muscle against Brescia.

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Ahead of the clash with Copenhagen in the Champions League, Chelsea striker Fernando Torres has admitted that he has struggled to adapt to life in London since arriving from Liverpool in January.

Torres cost the Premier League champions £50 million, but although he has played five games for his new club, he has yet to deliver any goals and has looked a shadow of his former self.

“There are moments when everything seems a mess,” he told The Independent. “The first few weeks are not easy. You don’t just arrive and everything is waiting for you. You have to get to grips with a new city, there’s all the paperwork, looking for an apartment. It takes time to find your feet and there are moments when everything seems a mess.”

He added: “London, though, is a huge city. If there is not too much traffic, it can take me about forty minutes to get to training. On a bad day it can take ages. Life in Liverpool was very different. I venture out in London, but I’m in awe of the city.”

Despite his troubles, Torres has the backing of his team-mates and fellow striker Salomon Kalou is convinced he will come good soon.

“I don’t think he has pressure – he’s a top striker and he has been through that kind of thing before,” Kalou said. “He has changed teams in the middle of the season, which is never easy, so I think he is going to need time to adapt.

“He’s going to play and you can only have pressure on you if you’re not playing the next game and not scoring. He’s going to have the opportunity and he’s a top striker.”

Chelsea go into the Copenhagen game with one foot in the next phase, as they lead 2-0 from the first leg, and captain John Terry insists his side are focused on going all the way.

“We won’t give up chasing or fighting. All we can do is win our own games, keep going to the end and see what happens at the top,” Terry said. “Our fans have kept faith with us this season and we owe it to the supporters to finish the season strongly, showing the quality we have and picking up big results.

“We could still make this a good season and we’re up for the challenge. It’s time to show what we’re capable of. This is a massive time for us.”

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Liverpool owner John W Henry has revealed the club have not started contract discussions with Kenny Dalglish, but have set a date to discuss the Scot’s future as manager.

The takeover of Liverpool Football Club by New England Sports Ventures has prompted a return to old ways at Anfield, with the club now making a sustained effort to conduct its business behind closed doors until any formal announcements can be made. Such demeanour was employed over the failed Charlie Adam approach in the January transfer window, and now a similar approach will be taken over the future of Dalglish.

A Kop idol from his previous years as player and manager, Dalglish has inspired a turnaround in fortunes since taking over from Roy Hodgson earlier in the season, leading Liverpool to sixth in the table.

Victories over Chelsea and Manchester United, produced largely without the aid of £35 million signing Andy Carroll, have provided hope for the future, while fellow new capture Luis Suarez is already looking like a shrewd purchase.

Liverpool’s owners have always said they will take time to ensure they pick the best man to lead the club forward in the future, with Dalglish’s current deal only keeping him in the manager’s job until the end of the current campaign. Henry would not confirm if the Scot had done enough to earn a permanent contract and rejected claims that a deal had already been offered.

“The only discussion we’ve had has been with Kenny and that was solely concerning when we should begin discussions,” Henry said in the Telegraph.

“I wouldn’t anticipate any further comments until such discussions have commenced and we have something to announce. Any reports until then are purely speculation.”

Jurgen Klopp of Borussia Dortmund, Porto’s Andre Villas-Boas and Didier Deschamps of Marseille have all been linked as alternative options for the Anfield role.

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Ryan Giggs is confident Manchester United can show their class in Tuesday night’s Champions League match with Marseille at Old Trafford.

United head into the fixture having managed only a goalless draw in the opening leg in France three weeks ago. It is a scoreline fraught with danger given the Red Devils were eliminated on away goals after exactly the same result in Monaco during the 1997/98 Champions League campaign.

But, as Giggs readily admits, United were below par in Marseille’s Stade Velodrome. And with home advantage and confidence lifted by an impressive FA Cup triumph over Arsenal, the veteran Welshman is in optimistic mood.

“At Old Trafford we back ourselves against anyone,” said Giggs. “It is going to be tough. It is the Champions League and 0-0 is always a sticky scoreline because we know if they score an away goal we will have to get two. What we need to do is get one and then pile on the goals to negate the possibility of an away one.”

Giggs feels there are a number of factors in United’s favour. Home advantage usually makes a difference, as should a surface that will assist the hosts’ preference for a speedy passing game. In addition, Giggs feels Marseille manager Didier Deschamps will at some stage have to ask his team to engage their opponents on the front foot, something they failed to do in the first meeting.

“Marseille were quite solid in the first leg but they didn’t risk anything,” said Giggs. “They were probably afraid to concede an away goal. As a consequence, we didn’t get into our rhythm like we know we can. The pitch was a bit uneven so our passing wasn’t as crisp and the tempo wasn’t what Manchester United are used to. We defended well but overall it wasn’t the best of games. I am sure this one will be better.”

Sir Alex Ferguson is still contending with a large number of injuries. Rio Ferdinand heads a list of absentees that still includes Darren Fletcher, Jonny Evans and Anderson, with Owen Hargreaves and Park Ji-sung set to miss out as well.

There is some good news though. Skipper Nemanja Vidic should be available after missing training yesterday with a minor knock, whilst both Michael Carrick and Michael Owen should be available along with Nani, who was ruled out by Ferguson on Friday but has made a quicker than expected recovery from a badly gashed leg.

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Manchester United winger Nani is reportedly considering a move to Serie A in the near future despite having his best season in the Premier League to date.

According to British newspapers, Nani has told friends and family he is looking at leaving England and has asked his agent to explore options in Italy.

Nani has starred for United this season, scoring ten goals and setting up 15 others, but the reports claim he now feels as though he has proved himself in England and would like to take on a new challenge in the next couple of seasons.

United stars Nemanja Vidic, Patrice Evra and most recently Wayne Rooney have been convinced to stay at the club when considering moves away, but if Nani does exit it would come as a personal blow to manager Sir Alex Ferguson, who is only now reaping the rewards from a player he kept the faith with for years of underwhelming performances since signing him for £18 million in 2007.

Nani, who only signed a new four-year deal last season, will not push for a move but instead wait and see what opportunities emerge, according to The Guardian. A report in The Sun claims part of Nani’s dissatisfaction at United is based on his belief he is now worth more than the wages he agreed to in his new deal.

Nani, 24, has been declared fit to face Marseille in the Champions League on Tuesday after recovering from the badly gashed leg he suffered in a tackle by Jamie Carragher in United’s Premier League loss to Liverpool.

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