It is one of those quirks of football that Chelsea supporters will come to look back on the season with their worst League record for 10 years as one of the proudest in the club's long history. The year 2012 will be etched in the memory of everyone for whom blue is the colour, along with Jose Mourinho's first championship of 2005 (after a 50-year gap) and the first FA Cup win of 1970. Even Carlo Ancelotti's Double two years ago – an undeniably greater achievement – is likely to be emotionally eclipsed by the triumph that no one could deliver to Stamford Bridge until Roberto Di Matteo's under-strength team somehow beat Bayern Munich in their own backyard to become champions of Europe.

Speculation is already rife over who will replace Bert van Marwijk as coach of the Netherlands, the biggest underachievers of Euro 2012, and there are no shortage of candidates.

Ruud Gullit said his five-month stay at Chechen club Terek Grozny was so absurd he found it funny. The Dutch coach was sacked on Tuesday after poor results left Terek close to the bottom of the Russian Premier League.

The bizarre sojourn of Dutch football legend Ruud Gullit in Chechnya ended last night, as he was unceremoniously sacked as manager of the region's leading football team, Terek Grozny.

Chechnya's Kremlin-backed strongman said he fired Terek Grozny coach Ruud Gullit today after the team lost a match billed as his last chance to prove he cared more for their poor league position than bars.

The National Football League, with more than three-quarters of its players black, can point out that 22 per cent of its head coaches are from 'ethnic minorities', up from six per cent in 2003

Take at least one step back and it is hard not to believe that the Milan team of Arrigo Sacchi would have started firm favourites against Pep Guardiola's Barça

Ruud Gullit says he is looking forward to the challenge of leading Terek Grozny after being unveiled as the Russian club's new manager.

Holland/Belgium kicked off the 2018 World Cup presentations today by telling FIFA members that "small is beautiful" and theirs was the "fun bid".

City defender insists draws against top sides will be enough for club to clinch a Champions League place

Mancini rejects criticism of tactics after City and United divide the spoils in derby

Millwall will ban for life the hooligan fan who chased Watford's Lloyd Doyley around the pitch yesterday – while another Lions supporter has been arrested for attacking the pitch invader, writes Alistair Grant. The first fan, a member of the armed services, invaded The Den pitch and pursued the right-back Doyley, who ran in the opposite direction before the supporter was bundled off the pitch by a steward and Lions striker Neil Harris. The man then scuffled with security staff and other Millwall fans, including a 41-year-old man who has been arrested on suspicion of assault. Millwall said the first fan will be charged with entering the field of play and is set to be banned for life. The club will also file a report to the FA, who are set to investigate the arrests in the latest hooligan probe to involve Millwall. The incidents happened 11 minutes after Doyley had been booked for a late tackle in front of fans of Millwall, who were losing 2-0 at the time – they lost the match 6-1.

Former world player of the year Ruud Gullit has been named president of Holland and Belgium's bid to host the World Cup in 2018 or 2022.

Bobby Robson adored talking about football. Lucky enough to speak with him three times, Brian Viner looks back on his interviews with the great man