Rumours of Jose Mourinho wanting to leave Real Madrid for the Premiership would mean only one thing: he is heading for Manchester. Since his famous Champions League win with Porto in 2004, Mourinho has had no desire to manage any side lacking truly world-class pedigree. For this very reason, a return to a depleted Chelsea side is not on the cards.

Rumours of Jose Mourinho wanting to leave Real Madrid for the Premiership would mean only one thing: he is heading for Manchester. Since his famous Champions League win with Porto in 2004, Mourinho has had no desire to manage any side lacking truly world-class pedigree. For this very reason, a return to a depleted Chelsea side is not on the cards.

Real Madrid beat Levante 4-2, capitalizing on Barcelona's 3-2 loss to Osasuna on Saturday and putting themselves a comfy 10 points clear at the top of the table. Cristiano Ronaldo scored Real's first three goals -- all within 12 minutes of each other -- but his third was the perfectly arched effort from outside the box you see above.

Full credit to Osasuna who played like they had nothing to fear against their vaunted opposition. Pep Guardiola resting Xavi, Iniesta, and Fabregas on the bench for the Bayer Leverkusen CL first leg sent in Thiago Alcantara, Pedro, and Sergi Roberto. The latter breaking into the first squad, all of four games old, completed the rejiggered midfield.

Real Madrid v Levante Preview, Prediction, TV Listings, Betting Odds La Liga 12 February 2012 - The 90th Minute Soccer Blog

Real Madrid can extend their lead at the top of the table to ten points with a win as they host Levante in the Spanish Primera Division (La Liga). The match will take place at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid, Spain on Sunday, February 12, 2012.

Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas admitted that as his side prepares to kick-off at Goodison Park this afternoon, damage control is the only ambition for the Blues in a Premier League campaign where they have not been 'very honorable'.

With Tottenham seven points ahead in third and Newcastle, Arsenal, and Liverpool all within striking distance of Chelsea's current fourth position in the table, Villas-Boas acknowledges that it has been a shaky ride for a side that was assembled to chase glory.

New Mou 'Do It's not quite as severe as the last time he shaved his head, but Jose Mourinho has opted for another closely cropped hairdo. We're mainly posting this as a public service as a lot of Google traffic is finding an old Mourinho 'Do Are Ya? post as they frantically search to see [...]

Oh good grief, now this is awkward. I had only just made myself comfortable in readiness for a lengthy period of smugness, gloating and absolutely unbearable braggadocio. And why the devil not – our lot produce the most jaw-dropping eye candy since that lady from the Sean Connery days emerged from the sea to jiggle about in her skimpies in frightfully uncouth manner.

Redknapp's version of Usain Bolt's iconic celebration was lacking in many areas.In the aftermath of the chaos that was February 9th 2012, no-one could discuss the position of Tottenham manager with any certainty. Harry Redknapp, the current incumbent, began the day with the verdict of a court case for tax evasion hanging over his head yet, come the day's completion, his immediate and medium term future was the most speculated upon in all the land.

By The Numbers: Who should take over from Fabio Capello? - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

Following Fabio Capello's resignation as England manager, Castrol EDGE Performance data shows why Harry Redknapp is firm favourite to take over the reins. Since the previous European Championships in 2008, Redknapp has secured an impressive win ratio of 49% with Portsmouth and Tottenham, guiding Spurs to their most successful season in the Premier League and securing European football for the past two seasons.

By Josh Clarke

On initial inspection, similarities between Andre Villas-Boas' Chelsea and Edgar Allan Poe seem most abundantly clear in a shared propensity for an excruciating and painfully drawn-out narrative (think Fernando Torres and The Pit and Pendulum).

The FIFA backed "International Federation of Football History & Statistics" (IFFHS) has released its Top 10 list of World Football Coaches & Managers, with Scotsman & Manchester United Coach/Manager Sir Alex Ferguson as the Top placed (Nº 1) so far this 21st Century. Ferguson leads by just 1 point Arsenal Coach/Manager Arsene Wenger with Real Madrid Coach Jose Mourinho in 3rd place.

The FIFA backed "International Federation of Football History & Statistics" (IFFHS) has released its Top 10 list of World Football Coaches & Managers, with Scotsman & Manchester United Coach/Manager Sir Alex Ferguson as the Top placed (Nº 1) so far this 21st Century. Ferguson leads by just 1 point Arsenal Coach/Manager Arsene Wenger with Real Madrid Coach Jose Mourinho in 3rd place.

Welcome to a slightly late edition of La Liga Lunes (La Liga Monday!) Over the weekend, the Women's FIFA Ballon d'Or winner Homare Sawa met up with Barcelona maestro Xavi at the club's training ground. Her team, INAC Kobe from the Japanese Women's league, played a friendly against Barcelona's female squad (highlights below).

Two goals within the first five minutes of the start of the second half gave Chelsea a 3-0 lead over Manchester United at Stamford Bridge. That used to be an insurmountable advantage, but not anymore. Referee Howard Webb awarded Man United two penalties in an 11-minue span that Wayne Rooney put away before substitute Chicharito made it 3-3 with a header in the 84th minute.

Help me, I'm having nightmares. More, after the jump:

Cold as ice

I'm not even sure this match is as important as what's transpiring around the orbit of England's Once Brave (Twice-Removed) John Terry- henceforth known as EOBTRJT. Jack cooked up some brilliance on the matter, as always, which I recommend you all read at once.

The 2011 MLS season saw two teams tied for last place across the league, the New England Revolution and the Vancouver Whitecaps. Because of this, I got to thinking about how the off-season has been approached by these two clubs and how they compare so far heading into the 2012 season.

To start, both clubs parted ways with their head coaches, although Vancouver did so before the end of the season, and both hired on new ones.

Two years ago it was Cristiano Ronaldo gazing into a hand mirror, Last year it was Jose Mourinho kicking Pep Guardiola in the junk, but at midnight this March 19 Valencia's Las Fallas festival will stay with that Jose-on-Barca violence by burning a giant paper mache version of Mourinho poking Tito Vilanova in the eyeball.

guest writer Richard Hall Originally the Nerazzurri could not believe it, Zlatan Ibrahimovic had gone but in return they had 46 million Euros and even better they had Samuel Eto'o. Now, half a season since the Cameroonian left for Russia the question is being asked, ‘Did Moratti sell the wrong man?

An ode to Mario Balotelli: his notorious on and off-field antics (to date) - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli is without doubt one of the most interesting, but controversial players in the current game. Flashes of brilliance for the Etihad Stadium outfit, Inter and Italy testify to the 21-year-old's ability, but scandal and strange off-field behaviour have never been too far away in the attacker's short career to date.

Welcome to Offbeat Wednesday, where we cover the wacky side of football! Today, read about the German National Team's bizarre new campaign, Mourinho's Carpark 'Me Time', Harry Kewell's Tennis Day Out and Guti's Holiday!

Now now, don't get all excited! You're not looking at the latest 80′s German pop band founded by Lothar Matthäus, but it's close to the truth.

Real Madrid midfielder Kaka has revealed that his future with the club has been assured by club president Florento Perez and coach Jose Mourinho.

Kaka has struggled with injuries since joining Real Madrid in 2009, but has periodically displayed his old skill in recent matches and had one of his best games games in a Real Madrid shirt in Saturday's 3-1 win over Zaragoza.

News that Jose Mourinho could be about to de-camp to yet another club will no doubt result in managers at some of Europe's top clubs looking over their shoulders. It was ever thus. Mourinho is of course hugely successful; his wins to games ratio at 69% is astonishing, that's an incredible ll% higher than Ferguson's - though, it's true the United manager has been around for a lot longer.

Despite winning 17 of the 20 La Liga fixtures played so far this season and opening up a 7 point lead over arch rivals Barcelona, Jose Mourinho is not a happy man at Real Madrid and he could leave the Spanish giants this summer for a return to the Premier League.

According to reports emerging from Madrid, Mourinho is 'sick and tired' of the constant power struggles within the club and is seriously considering a return to the EPL.

Jose Mourinho To Manchester City? The rumours linking the Real Madrid boss to Eastlands grow and In The Stands' Rolly Pelovangu warns that if Mourinho does become City coach then they will dominate the Premier League Sporting comebacks are usually special things. Who can forget the return of Thierry Henry to Arsenal after five years [.

The fallout from last week's El Clasico loss was astounding. The fallout from the coming El Clasico – should we lose (which is a likely event) will perhaps be equally astounding. . The players are shit – we need to buy 6 new players. We need a new defense We need a new midfield, We need better strikers.

Is Jose Mourinho putting out feelers for a return to England at the end of the season?

According to a report in The Sunday Times (subscription required), an unnamed source close to Mourinho intimated that the Real coach could leave. "He was sick and tired of this situation at Madrid.

No sooner had Real Madrid been eliminated by Barcelona in the Copa Del Rey quarter-final had a new war of words emerged from the Real camp who ITS' Rolly Pelovangu argues are suffering from Battered Wife Syndrome After Barcelona's Copa Del Rey success over Real Madrid at the Camp Nou, the overriding image which stuck [.

Slow day relativelty speaking for SPANISH FOOTBALL , although tomorrow things will certainly pick up as La Liga gets into action with both Barça & Real Madrid playing their respective games. However, thought I let all the readers know what REAL MADRID Coach MOURINHO told - straight at his face - the Spanish Cup 2º leg quarter-final referee TEIXEIRA after the 2 - 2 result which knocked out Real

By Chris Wright

Massive thanks to Pies' fan Nick Sincere for bringing this photo to our attention Jose Mourinho lurking menacingly in the shadows of the underground car-park at the Camp Nou with the express intent of having 'a little chat' with referee Fernando Teixeira after his questionable performance during Wednesday night's El Clasico farrago.

That's Jose after last night's Clasico, hanging out in the Camp Nou parking lot next to the referee's car. He's not waiting to tell him how much he enjoyed his performance or beg him for the maker of his cologne, I can tell you that much.

Google Translate can do the rest.

On the weekend just past the Spanish daily newspaper, Marca, released what they claimed to be an exclusive. The newspapers football journalists had found out that Jose Mourinho, the Real Madrid coach, was dissatisfied with the level of hostility targeted in his direction and believing that his work was not recieving the plaudits he felt it welcomed he was going to leave his position at the end of the current season.

By Chris Wright

"Shhh!!! Don't look at him. If we're quiet, he may go away"

Despite leading 2-1 from the first-leg and going a further two goals ahead by half-time in the second through Pedro and Dani Alves, Barcelona still found themselves fretting at the Camp Nou as Real Madrid staged a late-ish comeback attempt that saw Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema draw Los Merengues level on the night though it was to be in vain, as Barca eventually held out for the aggregate win that sealed them a berth in the Copa del Rey semi-finals.

Very interesting reports emerging that are linking Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger with Mourinho's job at Real Madrid. Though very flattering the possibilities of Wenger leaving Arsenal any time soon are almost zero!

However, the same cannot be said of Jose Mourinho. The 'special one' once again had a negative result against arch rivals Barcelona, this time going down 4-3 on aggregate after pulling 2 goals back to level the scoreline in their Copa Del Rey quarter final return fixture at the Nou Camp.

Barca holds off Madrid rally to reach cup semis World Soccer Yahoo! Sports.

Barcelona once again got the better of their closest rivals in La Liga by knocking out Real Madrid in the quarter finals of the Copa Del Rey. After taking a two goal lead over Real, Barcelona were pegged back to 2-2 as the game finished in a draw.

Barca holds off Madrid rally to reach cup semis World Soccer Yahoo! Sports.

Barcelona once again got the better of their closest rivals in La Liga by knocking out Real Madrid in the quarter finals of the Copa Del Rey. After taking a two goal lead over Real, Barcelona were pegged back to 2-2 as the game finished in a draw.

Whenever Jose Mourinho (who notwithstanding anything, is still the best coach in the world) loses a match, he blames the referee. Do not mind the other team has played great football, or that some tactical choices have been wrong. No, the referee is to blame! So when it actually happens, it just seem like yet another lame excuse of "cry ref".

Ahead of Barcelona and Real Madrid's eagerly anticipated Copa Del Rey quarter-final second leg In The Stands looks at Jose Mourinho's record vs Barcelona as Madrid boss. Let us just say it doesn't make for pretty reading... (LOST) Barcelona 5-0 Real Madrid; La Liga, November 2010 (DREW) Real Madrid 1-1 Barcelona; La Liga, April 2011 [.

A couple of big-name matchups in 2nd legs of domestic cup competitions coming up later today:

Carling Cup semifinal Manchester City vs Liverpool 8:45pm CET / 2:45pmET / 7:45pm GMT (USA TV: FSC): We didn't see the 1st leg of this semifinal tie earlier this month, which somewhat surprisingly went 1-0 to Liverpool at Anfield.

I guess everyone has seen the yearly rumours linking Arsene Wenger with a move to Real Madrid, after it has been revealed that Jose Mourinho is not getting on very well with his players, and he was even (like Wenger) abused by the Real Madrid fans despite his team being five points clear of Barcelona [.