Ranieri returns to coach Cagliari after 31 years

Cagliari have appointed the much-travelled Claudio Ranieri as head coach on a contract until June 2025, the Serie B club announced on Friday 31 years after he left the role. The Italian came to prominence as a manager with Cagliari from 1988-1991, leading the team from Serie C to Serie A in successive seasons before joining Napoli."I’m going back to Cagliari: I’ve always known it, I declared it even then, at the time of my departure,” the 71-year-old said on the club’s website. "Cagliari made me understand that maybe I could make it in my job, I had found all the elements that helped me in those three years: fans, players, managers, we were all one. In these days you have helped me make this decision, which was not easy for various reasons. We are bound by mutual respect and love, many beautiful memories.”Ranieri is best known in England for guiding Leicester City to a fairytale Premier League title in 2016, but he failed to work his magic at Watford as they earned only seven points in three months before he left the job in January.Ranieri, who has also managed several clubs in Italy including Juventus, AS Roma and Inter Milan as well as teams in Spain and France, takes over a Cagliari side who are in 14th place in the second tier after being relegated last season.

Guardiola accuses Phillips of returning from World Cup ‘overweight’

Pep Guardiola said on Friday that Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips had returned from his World Cup stint with England "overweight” and unable to train. City manager Guardiola was initially vague over why the injury prone 27-year-old was not even on the bench for Thursday’s League Cup win over holders Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium. But following a 3-2 victory that took City into the quarter-finals, Guardiola said: "He’s not injured. He arrived overweight. I don’t know (why). He didn’t arrive in the condition to do training sessions and to play.”City had 16 players on international duty at the World Cup, more than any other Premier League club, and they were all given time off after their involvement at Qatar 2022 ended, which in Phillips’ case came after England’s quarter-final loss to France."When he will be ready he will play, because we need him, we need him a lot,” said Guardiola, who added he had "absolutely” no issue with England’s training regime. Asked if he was disappointed, the Spanish boss replied: "It’s a private conversation with Kalvin”. City resume their Premier League title defence away to Phillips’ former club Leeds on Wednesday.

Spurs boss Conte ‘not worried’ about Kane after England penalty miss

Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte said he is not concerned about Harry Kane after the England captain’s penalty miss against France at the World Cup in Qatar earlier this month. Kane had drawn England level with France in the quarter-final tie with a successful spot kick that saw him match Wayne Rooney’s record haul of 53 goals.He then had the chance to make it 2-2 late on after Mason Mount was barged over by Theo Hernandez in the area, but blazed his effort high over the crossbar. England lost 2-1 to France. Asked if he was worried about Kane’s mindset upon the striker’s return to Spurs, Conte told reporters: "No, honestly because we’re talking about a world-class striker."In football, you can have exciting moments and you can also have moments where you are a bit disappointed because you missed a penalty, the second penalty, as the first he scored,” added Conte, who was part of the Italy squad that lost to Brazil on penalties in the 1994 World Cup final.Spurs, who are fourth in the Premier League standings, take on 10th-placed Brentford tomorrow.

Frank agrees Brentford contract extension

Dane Thomas Frank has signed a new deal as Brentford coach, the London club announced. Frank, 49, took over four years ago after two campaigns as assistant coach to Dean Smith, and led the Bees to the Premier League in 2021. They are now 10th in the table and will host Tottenham on Monday in their first league game back since the World Cup break."I have been here six years in total, which is a long time in modern football, and I’d like to say thank you to the fans for the support you give us — the players, the staff, everyone involved with the club,” Frank said in a club statement. "We attacked the Premier League in the first season and we’re attacking it in our second season. I’m looking forward to hopefully continuing our progress and creating more magic moments together,” he added.