Porto coach Andre Villas-Boas moved a step closer to an expected move to English Premier League Chelsea after resigning his post with the Portuguese and Europa League champion yesterday.

"Porto has been notified of the intention of coach Andre Villas-Boas to terminate, without just cause, his contract with the club, immediately activating his release clause," Porto said in a statement.

Porto added that the 33-year-old's contract will be deemed terminated once the deposit for his 15 million euros (US$21.52 million) release clause has been paid.

The coach, contracted to Porto until 2013, has been strongly linked with Chelsea which is seeking a new manager after sacking Italian Carlo Ancelotti on the last day of the season in May.

Villas-Boas, who worked as assistant and scout at Chelsea under current Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho from 2004 to 2007, joined Porto as head coach in June last year and led the club to a treble of Portuguese Premier League, Portugal Cup and Europa League.

He also worked under Mourinho at Porto and Inter Milan, before helping Academica Coimbra avoid relegation from the Portuguese Premier League after starting his career as head coach at the club in October 2009.

Villas-Boas had said last month that his future was tied with Porto.

He became the youngest coach ever to win a European club competition when Porto beat compatriot Braga to lift the Europa League last month.

His rampant Porto team also became the first side since 1978 to complete the Portuguese league undefeated, clinching the title with a win at its rival Benfica's Luz Stadium in Lisbon.

Meanwhile, England's Football Association has reportedly intervened to prevent Fabio Capello from moving to Italy's Inter.

The Gazzetta dello Sport reported yesterday that while Inter still has a slight chance to hire the England coach, it appears unlikely.

If Capello can't be pried away from England, Inter could go after former Genoa coach Gian Piero Gasperini.

Gasperini led Genoa up from the second division in 2007, then qualified the club for the Europa League with a fifth-place finish in Serie A in 2009. He was fired by Genoa in November.

Current Inter coach Leonardo is negotiating for an executive position with Paris Saint-Germain.