FOOTBALL
Chelsea to tempt German
Posted Wed, 28 May 2008

Champions League finalists Chelsea have failed in a fresh attempt to persuade Bayern Munich coach Jurgen Klinsmann to become their new boss, several British newspapers reported on Wednesday.

Chelsea made an "informal inquiry" to discover if Klinsmann could be prised away from Bayern after the English Premier League runners-up sacked Israeli coach Avram Grant on Saturday, according to The Times, The Daily Telegraph and the Daily Mail.

But Klinsmann's representatives told Chelsea he would definitely be starting work with the newly crowned German champions as planned on July 1, the reports said.

Klinsmann, a World Cup winner for Germany as a striker, led his country to the semi-finals of the 2006 World Cup in his first coaching job.

He held talks with Chelsea last year with a view to replacing Jose Mourinho, but turned down the club bankrolled by Russian tycoon Roman Abramovich because he was unhappy with the chain of command, the reports said.

Chelsea made a fresh attempt because they are so impressed with Klinsmann's modern, US-influenced approach which includes the use of fitness coaches and sports psychologists.

Chelsea, who lost last Wednesday's Champions League final to Manchester United in a penalty shootout, have now turned their attention to former Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard, Juventus boss Didier Deschamps and Portugal coach Luiz Felipe Scolari, reports said.

Other names on Chelsea's shortlist according to the BBC are Blackburn manager Mark Hughes and Roberto Mancini, whose agent Giorgio De Giorgis claimed on Tuesday was no longer the coach of Inter Milan.

AFP