Football Roundup: Mourinho targets 15-year stay at Man United

Mourinho targets 15-year stay at Man United

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho wants to stay at Old Trafford for the next 15 years but concedes the pressures of managing at the top level make a long tenure difficult.

Mourinho, who previously won league titles in Portugal, Spain, Italy and England, has never been in charge for more than three seasons at his previous clubs.

"I am ready for this," Mourinho, about to start his second season at Old Trafford, told ESPN. "I am ready for the next 15, I would say. Here? Yes, why not?

"I have to admit that it is very difficult because of the pressure around our jobs, everybody putting pressure on managers... but in reality only one can win and every year it is getting more difficult.

"In my vision, my job is much more than what I do on the pitch and the results that my team gets at the weekend."

The Portuguese had previously expressed his intention to stay in charge at Stamford Bridge for more than 10 years during his second stint at Chelsea but was sacked just months after leading the side to the league title in 2015.

Mourinho said long-term stability could bring great benefits at the club as he hopes to emulate Alex Ferguson, who led United to 13 Premier League titles and two Champions League trophies during his 26 years in charge.

"This club, for so many years, was Sir Alex," Mourinho added. "People got used to it; people understood the great consequences of that stability.

"After David (Moyes) and Mr (Louis) Van Gaal, I come to my second year and hopefully I can stay and give that stability that the club wants."

Concerning his squad strength, United have added striker Romelu Lukaku from Everton and Benfica defender Victor Lindelof in the close season but Mourinho believes there is still room to for more acquisitions in this transfer window.

The British media continue to link the club with moves for Inter Milan winger Ivan Perisic, Chelsea midfielder Nemanja Matic and Tottenham Hotspur's Eric Dier with Mourinho hoping that at least one of his targets will join.

"We thought about four players to strengthen our squad, but it is really hard to do it," he added. "If we do the third and forget the fourth, I would be quite happy with that because I know it is difficult."

United, who finished sixth in the league last season, host West Ham in their first game of the campaign on Aug. 13.

Brazilian match ends in chaos after linesman over-ruled

A Brazilian second division match ended in chaotic scenes after a linesman raised his flag for offside, the defending team stopped playing, the attacking side walked the ball into the net and the referee awarded a goal.

Tuesday's match was interrupted for 13 minutes as furious players from losing side Luverdense surrounded the referee to protest the extraordinary goal that gave former South American champions Internacional a 1-0 win.

The incident happened in stoppage time when Internacional forward William Pottker was released on the right. The linesman immediately raised his flag for offside, Pottker pulled up without touching the ball and the Luverdense defenders stopped.

However, the ball ran on to Internacional forward Joanderson, who was onside, the referee waved play on and the linesman suddenly dropped his flag.

With the Luverdense defence still under the impression that play had stopped, Joanderson slipped the ball to Pottker who tapped it into the empty net and the Inter players ran off to celebrate as their opponents surrounded the referee.

Luverdense's players initially refused to restart the game, with several walking off the pitch, before they were persuaded to kick off.

Twice winners of South America's Libertadores Cup and three-times Brazilian champions Internacional are playing in the second tier for the first time after being relegated last season.

AFC urges China to nurture more home-grown talent

China is enjoying a "football boom" at club level but the country needs to do more to nurture talent for the struggling national team, according to Asian Football Confederation (AFC) General Secretary Windsor John.

The Chinese Super League (CSL) has become a major player in the global transfer market in recent years but the national side has stagnated and is on the brink of failing to qualify for a fourth successive World Cup.

"China's football boom is good news for the AFC... because it is a very important partner for us," Windsor John said in comments published by state news agency Xinhua.

"On one hand, we need to improve the performance of the national team, so you need more home-grown players, more Chinese players who play in top clubs regularly and they can be prepared for the national team.

"On the other hand, the clubs want to do well in the league and become the champion, not only domestically but also champion in Asia. So it's a difficult situation."

China qualified for its only World Cup in 2002, when it lost all of its matches and failed to score a goal at the tournament co-hosted by South Korea and Japan.

But Chinese President Xi Jinping, an avid soccer fan, has launched an ambitious drive to improve local football from the ground up and spoken of his wish for the country to qualify for another World Cup, host the tournament and eventually win it.

Chinese Super League clubs have splashed out on high-profile international players and coaches in recent years, repeatedly smashing transfer window records and stoking official alarm at the exorbitant spending.

The recently closed domestic transfer window was more subdued, however, after football authorities imposed a 100 percent levy on foreign signings of more than 40 million yuan ($5.92 million).

China, ranked world number 77, must beat Uzbekistan at home and Qatar away in the final two rounds of Asian qualifying in August and September to have any hope of grabbing third place in Group A and a chance to reach Russia through the playoffs.

Their best chance of qualifying may have to wait until 2026 when the World Cup expands to 48 teams, however.

Asia will be allotted 8.5 berths for the tournament, up from the 4.5 slots the continent currently enjoys. The half-place represents a team going into a playoff.

Arsenal manager Wenger insists Sanchez 'not for sale'

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger remains adamant that Alexis Sanchez is not for sale after the Frenchman dismissed the Chilean forward's comments about wanting to play in the Champions League as meaning he is pushing to leave.

The 28-year-old's current deal at the Emirates expires in 2018 but Wenger says the Chile international will not be sold despite little sign of a new contract being agreed.

"The decision has been made and we will stick to that," Wenger told reporters during the club's pre-season tour in China. "The decision is not to sell."

British media reported on Sunday that Sanchez, who was the club's top scorer last season with 30 goals, would leave North London after saying he wanted to play in and win the Champions League.

Arsenal did not qualify for the competition following their fifth-placed league finish last season and Wenger believes that Sanchez's quotes were mistranslated when he spoke to Chilean radio station Radio Sport.

"I don't give too much importance to things that are translated, you know," Wenger added. "The whole interview that I got didn't really mean that.

"The main focus for us is to concentrate on the Premier League and the Premier League for me today is more important than the Champions League.

"We played 20 years in the Champions League, that's 17 years before Sanchez arrived and three years with him so he can get us back in there."

Wenger added that the transfer of striker Robin van Persie to Manchester United during the final year of his contract in 2012 shared no similarities with Sanchez's situation.

Liverpool's Stewart returns from tour amid Hull interest

Liverpool midfielder Kevin Stewart has left the Premier League club's pre-season tour in Hong Kong and returned to Merseyside to seal what British media are reporting is a move to Championship side Hull City.

The clubs are reported to have agreed a fee of around 8 million pounds ($10.42 million) with add-ons for the 23-year-old, who has made 20 senior appearances for Liverpool since joining the club from Tottenham Hotspur in 2014.

Stewart signed a new five-year deal at Liverpool last November and played nine matches for the first team and 10 with the under-23 squad last season.

The clubs may be conducting a fair bit of business during this transfer window with Liverpool reported to be interested in Hull's Scottish international left back Andrew Robertson.