Sport-Motors

(ANSA) - Palermo, October 26 - The family of Fabrizio Miccoli was robbed in their home on Sunday while the Palermo striker was on the field in a home game against Udinese.

According to police, the two robbers climbed into his Palermo apartment from scaffolding outside and found his family and friends watching the game on television.

The robbers, unarmed and not wearing masks, reportedly made off with 2,000 euros in cash and a diamond ring worth 20,000 thousand euros.

(ANSA) - Rome, October 26 - Alessandro Nesta is relishing his 'second life' at AC Milan after his return from a career-threatening back injury.

''This is 'bellissimo' for me,'' the defender said after his first-ever two-goal haul in Serie A sank Chievo 2-1 in Verona.

''I never, ever score. This was special,'' said the 33-year-old whose brace put Milan in joint fourth place alongside Palermo and Fiorentina.

(ANSA) - Bologna, October 23 - Ferrari Chairman Luca Cordero di Montezemolo, in his role as head of the Formula One Teams Association (FOTA), congratulated Jean Todt on his election Wednesday as the new president of the international racing federation FIA.

Todt, Ferrari's Formula One team principal from July 1993 through 2007, will replace Max Mosley who headed motorsport's most powerful body for the past 16 years.

(ANSA) - Bologna, October 23 - The Italian motorcycle company Ducati has opened its first official showroom in China which will serve as its springboard to expand on the Chinese market, a company statement said on Friday.

At the opening of the Ducati Shanghai store were Ducati Motor Holding Chairman Gabriele Del Turchio, commercial director Cristiano Silei and the head of Ducati Asia Pacific, Mirko Bordiga.

Ducati explained that the company's move to China was motivated by the growing demand there for quality Italian products and, especially, big-engine motorcycles.

(ANSA) - Milan, October 23 - Inter Milan coach Jose' Mourinho on Friday slammed 19-year-old striker Mario Balotelli for patchy form allegedly linked to immaturity.

''Players of that age were men 20 years ago. Today finding an exception is a miracle,'' said Mourinho, who claimed the majority of today's young players were too interested in a flashy lifestyle and fast cars.

However, he blamed ''the people who hang around young players'' for being bad influences on them.

''They (the players) are more victims than culprits,'' he said.

(ANSA) - Rome, October 23 - International Olympic Committee Vice President Mario Pescante on Friday said he was pessimistic that Italy could stage a credible bid for the 2020 Olympic Games.

Three Italian cities - Rome, Venice and Palermo - have unveiled plans to bid for the whole summer Games while a fourth, Bari, is said to be gearing to bid for the soccer tournament.

On Thursday the island of Sardinia said it was interested in hosting the swimming and diving events.

(ANSA) - Rome, October 22 - Diego Milito and Thiago Motta are expected to be back for Inter Milan against Catania this weekend as the Serie A leaders seek to reassert their domestic dominance after an uncertain Champions League draw against Dynamo Kiev.

The recently injured South American duo went through their paces at Thursday training and coach Jose' Mourinho said they might play a part on Saturday night.

(ANSA) - Sepang, October 22 - World Champion Valentino Rossi said on Thursday that he intends to retain his MotoGP title at Sunday's Malaysian Grand Prix here.

Rossi needs only to come in fourth on to mathematically win the 2009 championship, his ninth career and seventh premier class title.

The only rider who has an outside chance of denying Rossi this feat is his Yamaha teammate Jorge Lorenzo, who is 38 points behind in the standings with two races to go.

(ANSA) - Sepang, October 22 - MotoGP champion Valentino Rossi, who here on Sunday may clinch his ninth world title, has confirmed he will take part in next year's Mexican round of the World Rally Championship (WRC).

''It's the last chance to race in WRC before they change the rules in 2011 and I just couldn't miss this opportunity,'' the 30-year-old Yamaha rider said ahead of the Malaysian Grand Prix

(ANSA) - Rome, October 21 - Two of Serie A's bottom clubs replaced their managers Wednesday bringing the number of axed coaches in the top flight to a record five after eight games.

Third-from-bottom Bologna sacked Giuseppe Papadopulo, 61, and brought in former Reggina, Napoli, Cagliari and Ascoli coach Franco Colomba, 54.

It was the Emilian club's third change of management in 14 months.

Bottom club Livorno brought in Serse Cosmi, 51, former manager of Perugia, Bologna, Udinese and Brescia, in place of joint coaches Vittorio Russo, 70, and Gennaro Ruotolo, 42.

(ANSA) - Rome, October 21 - Two of Serie A's bottom clubs replaced their managers Wednesday bringing the number of axed coaches in the top flight to a record five after eight games.

Third-from-bottom Bologna sacked Giuseppe Papadopulo, 61, and brought in former Reggina, Napoli, Cagliari and Ascoli coach Franco Colomba, 54.

It was the Emilian club's third change of management in 14 months.

(ANSA) - Milan, October 20 - AC Milan will have to do without Marco Storari for at least a month after a scan on Tuesday showed thigh tendon damage.

It will take ''30 days'' for the damage to heal, the club said on its website.

Dida deputised for first-choice keeper Storari in Milan's 2-1 win over Roma Sunday and is expected to keep the spot until late November, starting with Milan's visit to Real Madrid Wednesday.

(ANSA) - Milan, October 19 - AC Milan goalkeeper Marco Storari and midfielder Gennaro Gattuso have injury niggles and will miss Wednesday's Champions League match at Real Madrid, Milan said Monday.

Dida will keep goal as he did in Milan's 2-1 win over Roma Sunday night while Massimo Ambrosini, sent off against Roma, is expected to take over Gattuso's role with Mathieu Flamini also pitching in.

Milan are joint second with FC Zurich in Group C with three points from two games while Real are top with six.

Marseille are bottom with no points.

(ANSA) - Paris, October 19 - Former Renault boss Flavio Briatore on Monday filed a legal action in a Paris court seeking to overturn his life ban from Formula One, judicial sources said.

Briatore, 59, was banned by the International Automobile Federation (FIA) on September 21 for ordering driver Nelson Piquet Jr to crash out of the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix so teammate Fernando Alonso could win.

In a statement, the Italian said ''in this case, the FIA has been used as tool to exact vengeance on behalf of one man,'' referring to FIA President Max Mosley.

(ANSA) - Rome, October 19 - Some Italian players should have made the Ballon d'Or (European Footballer of the Year) selection list, Italian Soccer Federation President Gianfranco Abete said Monday.

Abete noted that France, who have still to qualify for the 2010 World Cup, had four players on the list while world champions Italy, who qualified with a game to spare, had none.

''I think many Italians could have been in the top 30,'' Abete said.