Football: Troussier heads for the steel city

PHILIPPE TROUSSIER, the South Africa coach, is the new Sheffield Wednesday manager, having taken over from Ron Atkinson, whose contract was not renewed at the end of last season.

Troussier, who had also been in contact with Celtic, will take charge after the World Cup. "Dave Richards [the Wednesday chairman] drove for four hours from Paris to our base in Vichy," he said yesterday. "We had a 10-minute meeting and I'm very happy that I'm going to Hillsborough."

The 43-year-old Frenchman is a known disciplinarian and has a reputation for a quick temper, having fallen foul of several football authorities during his 10 years coaching club and national teams in Africa.

He was sacked by Ivory Coast for calling the Federation president a fool, while the South African club Kaizer Chiefs sacked him when players revolted against harsh training methods. Nigeria sacked him after accusations of "technical incompetence", and within a week of being in charge of South Africa, players complained of physical abuse.

The end could be in sight for the long-running Leicester-Everton saga, with Martin O'Neill, the Foxes manager, deciding if he is going to leave after a meeting with the chairman, Sir Rodney Walker, tomorrow.

O'Neill claims he still has one or two points he wants to discuss with Sir Rodney before he comes to a decision. If the Ulsterman does leave Filbert Street, that could trigger Howard Kendall's long-mooted departure from Everton, with O'Neill taking over at Goodison Park.

A resigned Kendall, meanwhile, said yesterday: "Nothing has changed. I've heard nothing and I am just getting on with my job. I'm just working as usual and trying to plan for new players and the pre- season. I'll keep doing my job for Everton until I'm told otherwise."

Jurgen Klinsmann has denied reports that is to join the Major League Soccer team Los Angeles Galaxy after the World Cup finals. The German striker, who left Tottenham at the end of last season, said: "There is no deal. I made it clear that I would decide on my future only after the World Cup."

After less than a week out of football, Ron Noades, the former owner of Crystal Palace, is back after buying Dave Webb's controlling interest in Brentford. Noades left Selhurst Park last week after the completion of Mark Goldberg's takeover and he is believed to have paid around pounds 1m for his 51 per cent stake in the Bees.

David James, linked with a move away from Anfield after the signing of Brad Friedel, has denied he wants to leave. "I have no intention of leaving,'' James said. "If Liverpool want to sell me it is still going to be my decision and at the moment I don't want to go anywhere."

Neil Warnock, who left Oldham last month, may be moving across Greater Manchester to take charge of Bury. Warnock - also linked with Sheffield United's managerial vacancy - has had discussions with the First Division side this week. He said: "Bury seems a lovely challenge that's just made for me. Hopefully everything can be sorted out by the end of the week."

Borussia Dortmund have won their appeal in Germany, to stop the goalkeeper Stefan Klos from moving to Rangers this summer. A court ruled that, contrary to Klos's claims, his career would not suffer if he stayed at Dortmund. The Dortmund manager, Michael Meier, said afterwards he hoped the two parties could reach an amicable solution as his club was not "a prison''.