Martin Jol has put Barclays Premier League clubs looking for a new manager on alert by admitting that he wants to return to England. The Hamburg manager left Tottenham Hotspur under a cloud in October 2007 after guiding the club to successive fifth-place finishes in the top flight and has enhanced his reputation in Germany this season.

Hamburg face Manchester City in the quarterfinals of the Uefa Cup at the HSH Nordbank Arena this evening and are joint top of the Bundesliga and in the semi-finals of the German Cup. “I want to build a good side at Hamburg and stay here for another one or two seasons,” Jol said. “I still have my house in England, so if there was a very good opportunity, maybe a club with ambitions of Europe, I would certainly think about it.”

Taking Tottenham to within touching distance of the Champions League was not good enough for his former employers, who replaced him with Juande Ramos before turning to Harry Redknapp in October last year. “It was almost a miracle we finished in the top five two years in a row,” Jol said. “We did a good job. Harry knows he has a very good side but I had a very good squad as well. If he gets time, Spurs have the resources and they can build a great team, but getting in the top four is very difficult.”

Hamburg were all the rage in the Seventies and Eighties. Between 1976 and 1987 they won seven trophies including three German league titles and the European Cup in 1983. Since those glory days, all they have to show for their efforts is a German League Cup triumph in 2003.

When Jol arrived in Germany, few could have imagined the impact that the Dutchman would have at the club. Last Saturday, his team defeated Hoffenheim 1-0 and only goal difference is keeping them off top spot with eight games to play in the Bundesliga. “We have a bit of an advantage against City because we are at home,” Jol said. “They may have the quality but we have the spirit.”

Manchester City's epic Uefa Cup adventure began nine months ago in the Faeroe Isles and could end, if all goes well, in next month's final in Istanbul. This evening's quarter-final first leg is City's fifteenth game in the competition this season.

When Mark Hughes's team kicked off their European campaign, Kevin Keegan was the Newcastle United manager and homes in the UK were worth a lot more than today. “It's been a long road,” Hughes, the City manager, said. “There's a big focus on the club because of our new owners and it's important for our profile to do well in Europe.”

City have denied reports claiming that they have offered José Mourinho £12.5 million a year to replace Hughes. “The article is completely without foundation and we are considering legal action to address the matter,” a club statement said.