Thuram set for Barcelona Spanish league opener

Barcelona's French defender Lilian Thuram, who will miss France's friendly later on Wednesday against Slovakia due to an ankle injury, says he will be fit for the club's Spanish league opening match over the weekend.

"If the coach wants me to play, I will play," he told a news conference, adding he felt fine.

Barcelona, who lost the Spanish league crown to arch rivals Real Madrid last season, will face Racing Santander on Sunday in their first match of the new campaign.

Thuram injured his ankle while training for France's match against Slovakia. He has been one of Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard's most-used players during the club's successful pre-season.

Wiltord re-signs with Rennes

Striker Sylvain Wiltord has left Lyon for French first division rivals Rennes on a two-year deal, the Brittany club announced Wednesday.

"Sylvain Wiltord has signed a two-year contract with the 'Red and Blacks'. The French international will be at training from Thursday morning with his new team-mates," the club said.

Rennes president Frederic de Saint-Sernin, who had been courting Wiltord since mid-May, said the former Arsenal player - who had a year to run on his Lyon contract - had been signed for 1.5 million euros.

"Sylvain's at the top of his game," said de Saint-Sernin. "I'm not saying he'll be starting but he'll be in the squad against Metz on Saturday."

The 33-year-old striker, who has won 92 caps for France and made 125 appearances for Rennes from 1991-97, will earn 150,000 euros a month at Rennes, a significant salary cut from his days at Lyon.

Sevilla coach says he received 'dizzying' offer from Spurs

Sevilla coach Juande Ramos said Wednesday he had received a "dizzying" offer from English Premier League side Tottenham but stressed he had no plans to leave the Spanish double UEFA Cup winners.

"They (Spurs) made me an excellent, dizzying offer but I have a contract until June 2008. Not for a moment was there the possibility that I would leave," he told a news conference.

"Sevilla has had magnificant seasons and it is normal that everyone inside the club revalues themselves," added Ramos, who has coached Sevilla since 2005.

Ramos, 52, is a strict disciplinarian who has a reputation for bringing the best out of modest clubs.

He led Sevilla to the UEFA Cup title in 2006 during his first season with the club with a 4-0 win over Middlesbrough. It was the first time that the club had reached a final since the 1962 King's Cup.

Sevilla successfully defended the UEFA Cup last season and under his guidance has won three other trophies including the King's Cup and the UEFA Super Cup last season.

The club defeated reigning Spanish league champions Real Madrid 5-3 on Sunday for a 6-3 aggregate win in the Spanish Super Cup.

Ramos, who coached Spanish sides Levante, Logrones, Malaga and Real Betis in the past, reportedly met with Tottenham club secretary John Alexander at a hotel in Seville earlier this week.

Spurs issued a statement insisting they had not formally offered anyone the manager's job at White Hart Lane.

"The club wishes to thank all those fans who wrote to the board, the manager and the club with their views and support," they said in a brief statement.

"To further clarify the situation -- the club wishes to make it clear and unequivocal that no individual was or has been offered the position of manager/coach at this club whilst that position has been held by Martin Jol.

"It is wholly inaccurate and inappropriate to suggest otherwise."

The Tottenham board did not specify this in a lengthy statement Tuesday, nor explicitly say they backed Jol as their manager.