Palermo sack Del Neri after 3-1 defeat

Palermo sacked coach Luigi Del Neri following their 3-1 home defeat by Siena yesterday.

The defeat by Siena was the fifth in seven league matches for Palermo, who are 10th in the table having picked up 26 points from 22 games.

Del Neri, 55, sprang to prominence when he guided Chievo to fifth place in their first season in Italy's top flight in 2001-02.

At the end of the 2003-04 campaign he left Chievo to take over from Jose Mourinho at the then European champions Porto but was sacked before the start of the season after falling out with the club's hierarchy.

A brief and unsuccessful stint followed at Roma. Del Neri was one of four coaches last season who tried and failed to impose order on the Roma squad after Fabio Capello's departure to Juventus.

Albanian striker Erion Bogdani notched a hat-trick for Siena. They took the lead in the 30th minute when Enrico Chiesa threaded a pass through the defence for Bogdani to beat keeper Cristiano Lupatelli.

Palermo pushed forward at the start of the second half but Bogdani struck again in the 57th minute, slipping his marker to head in a free-kick.

He completed his treble midway through the half, nodding in a cross by Simone Vergassola.

Denis Godeas grabbed Palermo's consolation goal.

Milan halted at San Siro

In the late kick-off, Milan's perfect home record in Serie A came to an end when they drew 1-1 with Sampdoria.

The result interrupted a series of 10 consecutive Serie A victories at the San Siro stadium this season and left Milan third in the table with 47 points from 22 matches, nine behind leaders Juventus who play Ascoli today.

Milan dominated the early stages against Sampdoria and Andriy Shevchenko put the hosts ahead with a 13th-minute penalty after Sergio Volpi had flattened Filippo Inzaghi.

Gradually the visitors found their rhythm and Milan keeper Dida barely reacted when Andrea Gasbarroni blasted a left-foot shot past him to equalise on 36 minutes.

Only the woodwork prevented Sampdoria scoring again before the break as Volpi fired a free-kick against Dida's post and Marcello Castellini headed against the upright from a corner.

Milan regained their composure at the start of the second half and pushed forward aggressively in search of a second goal.

Sampdoria keeper Francesco Antonioli pulled off diving saves to prevent Shevchenko and playmaker Kaka restoring Milan's lead.

With 20 minutes remaining Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti sent on Alberto Gilardino in place of Inzaghi in an attempt to grab the winner.

But it was Sampdoria's turn to get lucky when a Clarence Seedorf shot rebounded off the post six minutes from time.

Serie A

Palermo 1
Siena 3

Milan 1
Sampdoria 1

Today - 3 p.m.
Ascoli vs Juventus (1-2)
Chievo vs Reggina (3-1)
Empoli vs Parma (0-1)
Lecce vs Inter (0-3) 8.30 p.m.

Messina vs Cagliari (1-1)
Roma vs Livorno (0-0)
Treviso vs Lazio (1-3)
Udinese vs Fiorentina (2-4)
(results first round in brackets)

Next Fixtures

Saturday - 6 p.m. Siena vs Ascoli. 8.30 p.m. Parma vs Roma.

Sunday - 3 p.m. Cagliari vs Empoli; Fiorentina vs Lecce; Inter vs Chievo; Juventus vs Udinese; Livorno vs Messina; Reggina vs Palermo; Sampdoria vs Treviso. 8.30 p.m. Lazio vs Milan.

Serie B

AlbinoLeffe vs Triestina 1-1
Avellino vs Modena 5-4
Bologna vs Brescia 3-1
Catania vs Bari 0-1
Catanzaro vs Verona 0-0 (abandoned 2nd minute)

Cremonese vs Pescara pp
Mantova vs Piacenza 1-1
Rimini vs Cesena (Friday) 1-1
Ternana vs Arezzo 1-0
Torino vs Atalanta tomorrow
Vicenza vs Crotone 0-1