(ANSA) - Bologna, July 1 - Bologna on Wednesday denied
reports that Calciopoli match-fixing figure Luciano Moggi was
set to become a consultant for the Serie A club.
``I`ve been speaking to Moggi for months but he doesn`t
want to come to Bologna and I don`t want him to come,``
Bologna owner Renzo Menarini told a press conference.
Menarini admitted a series of meetings with the alleged
ringleader of the 2006 scandal but stressed: ``He has never
been involved in Bologna`s affairs and

(ANSA) - Rome, July 1 - Italy held on to fourth place in
FIFA`s latest monthly rankings despite a 1-0 defeat to Egypt
and a 3-0 loss to Brazil in the recent Confederations Cup in
South Africa.
Confederations Cup winners Brazil jumped four places to
reclaim top spot from Spain.
The Netherlands dropped one place to third, Germany fell
two to fifth and Russia gained three to sixth.
Confederations Cup runners-up USA only gained two spots
to 12th despite their shock win over Europea

(ANSA) - Turin, July 1 - Juventus wants former star Pavel
Nedved to join its technical staff, Chairman Giovanni Cobolli
Gigli said Wednesday.
The former Czech midfielder, European Footballer of the
Year in 2003, ended his Juve playing career at the end of
last season after eight years with the Turin club.
At the time he said he was retiring but has since been
tentatively linked to ex-club Lazio, newly promoted Parma, or
Major League Soccer in the United States.
``When the seaso

(ANSA) - Bologna, July 1 - Bologna on Wednesday denied
reports that Calciopoli match-fixing figure Luciano Moggi was
set to become a consultant for the Serie A club.
``I`ve been speaking to Moggi for months but he doesn`t
want to come to Bologna and I don`t want him to come,``
Bologna owner Renzo Menarini told a press conference.
Menarini admitted a series of meetings with the alleged
ringleader of the 2006 scandal but stressed: ``He has never
been involved in Bologna`s affairs and

(ANSA) - Rome, June 30 - Francesca Schiavone on Tuesday
failed in her bid to become Italy`s first Wimbledon
semi-finalist - and its first Grand Slam semi-finalist of the
Open Era.
Unseeded Schiavone, 29, fell 6-2 6-2 to fourth seed Elena
Dementieva of Russia.
``I wasted so many chances, I just couldn`t play my best
game,`` Schiavone told reporters.
``It`s not easy to come from the small courts, where I`ve
always played, and find yourself suddenly in a stadium like
No.1 Court.

(ANSA) - Rome, June 30 - Francesca Schiavone on Tuesday
failed in her bid to become Italy`s first Wimbledon
semi-finalist.
Unseeded Schiavone, 29, fell 6-2 6-2 to fourth seed Elena
Dementieva.
Schiavone reached the quarter-finals by beating 26th seed
Virgine Razzano of France.
She was only the fourth Italian woman to reach the last
eight at Wimbledon after Silvia Farina in 2003, Laura Golarso
in 1989 and Lucia Valerio in 1933.
Eleven Italians have reached Grand Slam quarter

(ANSA) - Bergamo, June 30 - Italy`s Under-21 star Robert
Acquafresca has completed a loan move from Genoa to Atalanta,
the player`s agent said Tuesday.
Atalanta and newly promoted Parma had been vying for the
services of the highly rated hitman, who scored 15 goals for
Cagliari last season.
Acquafresca was on loan to the Sardinian club from
Italian champions Inter Milan.
Inter recently loaned him to Genoa as part of a deal
bringing Diego Milito and Thiago Motta to Inter.
Atalan

(ANSA) - Rome, June 30 - Italy`s Under-21 coach Pierluigi
Casiraghi has extended his contract for two years, the
Italian Soccer Federation said Tuesday.
The former Lazio, Chelsea and Italy striker, 40, took
over the Under-21 side in 2006.
The Under-21 team was knocked out of the recent European
championship in the semi-finals by eventual champions
Germany.
In 2007 it went out in the group stage.

(ANSA) - Milan, June 30 - Inter Milan will discuss
Douglas Maicon`s demand for a pay rise when he gets back from
the summer holidays, club CEO Ernesto Paolillo said Tuesday.
``We`ll meet the player to discuss it in private,`` he said
after the Brazil right-back said he deserved higher pay.
Paolillo said Maicon had a contract with the Italian
champs that had been signed ``with mutual satisfaction``.
``There might be possible analyses even though things are
extremely clear for us`

(ANSA) - Florence, June 30 - Brazil midfielder Felipe Melo
on Tuesday extended his contract with Serie A club Fiorentina
by a year until June 2013, club sources said.
Melo, 25, had been linked with Inter Milan and Arsenal.
Melo, who joined Fiorentina from Almeria for eight
million euros last year, is seen as one of the rising stars
of the Brazil outfit that has just won the Confederations
Cup.

(ANSA) - Milan, June 26 - A young Austrian striker who
has been dubbed the new Zlatan Ibrahimovic is having more
medical tests at Inter Milan and is expected to complete his
move from Dutch club FC Twente on Monday, Inter sources said.
Marko Arnautovic, 20, passed tests in May but then broke
his foot, putting the transfer in jeopardy.
Inter have since renegotiated the terms for the tall
(1.92 m, 6 ft 3 1/2 in) Vienna-born hitman.
Arnautovic, who has also been linked wit

(ANSA) - Milan, June 25 - AC Milan has not received any
bids for Italy playmaker Andrea Pirlo, club CEO Adriano
Galliani said Thursday.
``There has been no offer for Pirlo,`` he said, quashing
reports that Chelsea was trying to bring the 2006 World Cup
hero to Stamford Bridge to join his former coach Carlo
Ancelotti.
At the weekend, at the Confederations Cup in South
Africa, Pirlo reacted to the reports by saying ``You have to
get used to things,`` referring to Milan`s newfound

(ANSA) - Rome, June 25 - An Italian ski-climber has died
after skidding into a ravine during a descent of K2, the
world`s most dangerous mountain.
Michele Fait, 44, an extreme sports lover, had a number
of exploits to his credit including a ski descent of Everest.

(ANSA) - Rome, June 24 - Ferrari fans will see a ``real
Formula One`` next year now that the sport`s ruling body FIA
has climbed down from rule changes that would have penalised
the top teams, Ferrari chief Luca Cordero de Montezemolo said
Wednesday.
Montezemolo was talking to Sky TV after the teams group
FOTA, which he also leads, reached a deal with FIA chief Max
Mosley that gives the teams an equal say on rules.
``I`m satisfied. I`d like to thank all our fans who have
supported

(ANSA) - Maranello, June 24 - Ferrari on Wednesday
welcomed an accord struck by the international racing
federation FIA and the Formula One Teams Association (FOTA)
which will allow for a regular season in 2010.
The Scuderia issued a statement saying ``today the FIA
World Council accepted the proposals formulated by FOTA for
the 2010 Formula 1 World Championship.
``A Championship, which will be held, as suggested by
FOTA, in the spirit of sporting and technological
competition