Villas-Boas set to unveil vision
Andre Villas-Boas will have the chance to reveal his plans for Chelsea when he is formally presented as the English Premier League club's new manager on Tuesday.
Andre Villas-Boas will have the chance to reveal his plans for Chelsea when he is formally presented as the English Premier League club's new manager on Tuesday.
Aged just 33, the Portuguese will become the youngest boss in English football's top flight. He replaces Carlo Ancelotti after the Italian, who in his first season in charge led to the London club winning the double of the Premier League and FA Cup was sacked after a trophyless campaign last term.
Villas-Boas knows Chelsea well, having worked at Stamford Bridge as a scout under mentor Jose Mourinho and will hold a press conference on Tuesday.
It is understood that he has already cancelled Chelsea's opening pre-season friendly away to Dutch side Vitesse Arnhem on July 9 because he wants more preparation time with the squad.
His succesor at Porto is his former deputy Vitor Pereira which means he has been left searching for a new assistant at Chelsea. But other members of Porto's backroom staff are set to follow him to Stamford Bridge alongside a couple of key players, with Colombia striker Radamel Falcao and midfielder Joao Moutinho, both linked with moves to west London.
Brazilian youngster Neymar, meanwhile, has been a long-term target for Chelsea, who are reported to be one of five clubs, including Premier League rivals Manchester City, who are competing for the signature of the Santos star.
Chelsea had insisted on Villas-Boas as "outstanding candidate for the job" over former manager Guus Hiddink and the release from his Porto contract cost some €13.2 million.
De Gea confirms united offer
Madrid: Atletico Madrid goalkeeper David de Gea confirmed on Tuesday that he has received an offer from Manchester United, who are looking for a replacement for Edwin van der Sar. "I have been invited by MAU (sic) to see the club and the city together with my family and to be given an offer," the 20-year-old wrote on his official Twitter account.
Appetite for Asian football growing
Singapore: Japan, China and South Korea fuelled the surge in the appetite for Asian football, viewership data of the 2011 Asian Cup revealed on Tuesday.
The tournament's viewership in Japan grew from 131 million in the previous edition to nearly 210 million, according to a report collated by the CSM Media Research.
Japanese and Koreans made up just over half of the 63 million viewers who watched the semifinal between the two rivals.
The final, in which Japan beat Australia 1-0, was the second most watched match with 54.4 million viewers.
