Football Digest

Former Tottenham Hotspur manager Martin Jol has turned down Birmingham City after being approached by the Premier League club as a replacement for Steve Bruce, newspapers reported.

“We did speak to Martin Jol over the weekend,” said Birmingham co-owner David Sullivan. “Martin thanked us for our interest but said it was too early for him to consider coming back into football such a short time after leaving Spurs.Birmingham are looking for a new manager after the former Manchester United defender Bruce, who has been in charge at St Andrews for almost six years, agreed a move to Wigan Athletic.* Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Hossam Ghaly has returned to Egypt to train with his former club Al Ahly, the Premier League club said on their Web site (www.tottenhamhotspur.com).Ghaly has not played for Spurs this season and a three million pound transfer to Birmingham City fell through in August.”We have given Hossam permission to train with his former club Al Ahly in Egypt as he prepares for the national team’s Arabic Cup campaign as well as the African Cup of Nations tournament in January,” said Tottenham sporting director Damien Comolli.* Chelsea midfielder Michael Ballack expects to return from his injury lay-off next month.”I’m making good progress,” Ballack told German state TV.”December is looking good.”Ballack, the Germany captain, has not played since injuring his ankle in April.* Players at Bulgaria’s financially troubled Beroe Stara Zagora have threatened to boycott the club’s next league match against Vidima-Rakovski Sevlievo on Saturday because of unpaid wages, captain Vanya Dzaferovic said.”We’ll stop training until Wednesday and if there’s not any development, we’ll probably not play our home match against Vidima-Rakovski,” Croatian defender Dzaferovic, 24, was quoted as saying in the Bulgarian newspaper Meridian Match on Tuesday.* AS Roma striker Francesco Totti has excluded the possibility of coming out of retirement from the Italian national team.”Out of respect (for my former teammates), I could never think of returning for Italy,” Totti told the ANSA news agency.The Roma captain retired from the national side in July having picked up a World Cup winners’ medal last year.* China defender Sun Jihai hopes to agree a new deal to stay at Premier League Manchester City beyond the end of the season.The 30-year-old defender visited China and Thailand with manager Sven-Goran Eriksson last week to announce new commercial and partnership deals with local clubs and companies.”People asked me about my future when I was in Asia, and I made it clear that I am very happy to fight for my place at City,” he told City’s Web site (www.mcfc.co.uk) * Barcelona’s 17-year-old forward Bojan Krkic said he was focused on representing Spain, despite interest from the country his father represented as a player, Serbia.”I am flattered Serbia are interested in me and for the great effort they are making,” he was quoted as saying in Spanish media.”But I am Spanish and my desire is to play for Spain.”Krkic, who became Barca’s youngest goal scorer in the Primera Liga when he netted against Villarreal last month, has already represented Spain at Under-17 level.Nampa-Reuters”Martin thanked us for our interest but said it was too early for him to consider coming back into football such a short time after leaving Spurs.Birmingham are looking for a new manager after the former Manchester United defender Bruce, who has been in charge at St Andrews for almost six years, agreed a move to Wigan Athletic.* Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Hossam Ghaly has returned to Egypt to train with his former club Al Ahly, the Premier League club said on their Web site (www.tottenhamhotspur.com).Ghaly has not played for Spurs this season and a three million pound transfer to Birmingham City fell through in August.”We have given Hossam permission to train with his former club Al Ahly in Egypt as he prepares for the national team’s Arabic Cup campaign as well as the African Cup of Nations tournament in January,” said Tottenham sporting director Damien Comolli.* Chelsea midfielder Michael Ballack expects to return from his injury lay-off next month.”I’m making good progress,” Ballack told German state TV.”December is looking good.”Ballack, the Germany captain, has not played since injuring his ankle in April.* Players at Bulgaria’s financially troubled Beroe Stara Zagora have threatened to boycott the club’s next league match against Vidima-Rakovski Sevlievo on Saturday because of unpaid wages, captain Vanya Dzaferovic said.”We’ll stop training until Wednesday and if there’s not any development, we’ll probably not play our home match against Vidima-Rakovski,” Croatian defender Dzaferovic, 24, was quoted as saying in the Bulgarian newspaper Meridian Match on Tuesday.* AS Roma striker Francesco Totti has excluded the possibility of coming out of retirement from the Italian national team.”Out of respect (for my former teammates), I could never think of returning for Italy,” Totti told the ANSA news agency.The Roma captain retired from the national side in July having picked up a World Cup winners’ medal last year.* China defender Sun Jihai hopes to agree a new deal to stay at Premier League Manchester City beyond the end of the season.The 30-year-old defender visited China and Thailand with manager Sven-Goran Eriksson last week to announce new commercial and partnership deals with local clubs and companies.”People asked me about my future when I was in Asia, and I made it clear that I am very happy to fight for my place at City,” he told City’s Web site (www.mcfc.co.uk) * Barcelona’s 17-year-old forward Bojan Krkic said he was focused on representing Spain, despite interest from the country his father represented as a player, Serbia.”I am flattered Serbia are interested in me and for the great effort they are making,” he was quoted as saying in Spanish media.”But I am Spanish and my desire is to play for Spain.”Krkic, who became Barca’s youngest goal scorer in the Primera Liga when he netted against Villarreal last month, has already represented Spain at Under-17 level.Nampa-Reuters