Soccer hotspots: Mourinho to leave Real

Will Rooney stay at Manchester United or go to join another club? The 27-year-old striker has scored 167 goals in 344 games since he joined Old Trafford from Everton FC in 2004 and 33 goals for England in 79 games. However, tongues are wagging. From Spain, a soccer neutron bomb: Mourinho is to leave Real Madrid.

One person who believes Rooney will stay and rise to the occasion in face of the increased opposition posed by Robin van Persie is club director Sir Bobby Charlton. Moving in to Manchester United may be Luka Modric, who scored a goal against Sirt Alex Ferguson's team in the Champions League last week, sending Real Madrid through to the last 8. While not saying he is unhappy at Real, the Croatian midfield player is said to be interested in a move back to England in the future.

And now to the Bernabeu Stadium, home to Real Madrid: According to the journalist José Ramón de la Morena, Director and presenter of the programme El Larguero on Cadena Ser, "Whatever happens, Mourinho will not continue (at Real Madrid) next season".

This is just the latest chatter in Spain, and England, about where the Portuguese genius will present his skills next. On the cards, according to pundits, are Manchester City, which after spending over one billion pounds continues to live in the shadow of its neighbor, Chelsea, and City's neighbor itself, Manchester United in the post-Ferguson era, in the Premiership and Paris Saint-Germain abroad. But Ferguson does not seem set to leave and with another Premiership title seemingly under his belt in March, who is going to push him?

As if anyone needed any reminding, Mourinho's record speaks for itself. With FC Porto, he won 2 Portuguese Championships, one Portuguese Cup, one Portuguese Super Cup, the UEFA Cup, the Champions League and one Intercontinental Cup. At Chelsea, 2 Premiership titles, 1 FC Cop, 2 Carling Cups and 1 FC Community Shield (Super Cup); at Internazionale (Inter Milan), 2 Serie A Championships, 1 Coppa Itália, 1 Supercoppa Italiana and 1 Champions League.

Finally at Real Madrid, Mourinho has won 1 La Liga Championship title, 1 Copa del Rey and 1 Supercopa.

Timothy Bancroft-Hinchey

Pravda.Ru