SOCCER NEWS:DIDIER DESCHAMPS last night declared an interest in the vacant manager's position at Chelsea, bucking a trend that had developed over the course of the day as a series of leading contenders to succeed Avram Grant at Stamford Bridge chose to rule themselves out of the running.
The Russia coach, Guus Hiddink, long considered Roman Abramovich's "insurance policy" option as manager, and Roberto Mancini, who is struggling to retain his position at Internazionale, followed Jose Mourinho's lead by distancing themselves from the role yesterday. While the pair's insistence they are not London-bound could still be construed rather more as political manoeuvring than an outright refusal to move to England, Deschamps' willingness to embrace the idea of returning to Chelsea is intriguing.
The France World Cup-winning captain won the FA Cup in 2000 during his only season with club and proved his managerial credentials by steering Monaco to the Champions League final at Chelsea's expense in 2004.
He subsequently succeeded Fabio Capello at Juventus, then in Serie B following the Italian match-fixing scandal, and steered the club to promotion at the first attempt before resigning in June 2007.
Chelsea are still drawing up a list of potential candidates to take over from Grant, with various figures at the club promoting the credentials of their own particular favourites to Abramovich.
Yet Deschamps told a French radio station yesterday that he figures on the initial shortlist. "Three or four managers are on the list, and I am one of them," he said. "It would be hard to refuse Chelsea. I want to return to coaching. I needed to rest because I had no break between my playing career and becoming a manager, but I feel capable of achieving good things now.
"Breaking back into management is complicated because there are not always the opportunities, but the Chelsea position is now free. I am flattered to be considered a possible candidate for the role. They sacked their manager not because of the results they achieved, but because of their wish to play a more attacking, attractive style of football in the next few years. They are a very big club that I know well. We will see over the next few days how it goes, but any big-name manager who is available would interest them."
The former Barcelona manager Frank Rijkaard, backed by the Londoners' chief scout and head of youth development, Frank Arnesen, remains in the frame. The chief executive, Peter Kenyon, is understood to favour a young, British-based candidate in the mould of Mark Hughes, currently at Blackburn Rovers, or Sunderland's Roy Keane.
Guardian Service
