Football news

Inter striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic and full-back Maicon are on the market if the right offer comes, president Massimo Moratti has said.

The Italian champions' two best players have both threatened to leave the San Siro and have been linked to big spending Real Madrid.

Moratti will meet the Spanish club's president Florentino Perez this week to discuss Ibrahimovic, Serie A top scorer last season, according to reports in the media.

"As a fan I'd want them to stay, but as a president with a balance sheet to keep an eye on, I say that if they want to go, they can go. It would be counter-productive to keep them," Moratti said.

"I'd give them both a 50 per cent chance of staying at Inter."

Milan open to offers for Pirlo

Milan owner Silvio Berlusconi has said the Serie A club is open to offers for Italy midfielder Andrea Pirlo.

"If there's an offer, it should be considered," the Italian Premier was quoted as saying yesterday when asked about Pirlo, amid speculation he could join former Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti at Chelsea.

"We'll see. I was the first to say that he must stay, but then they showed me the sums (for his salary)."

Milan had previously said no more big names would move on after they sold Kaka to Real Madrid.

Liverpool to sign Pompey's Johnson

Liverpool have reached an agreement to sign England right back Glen Johnson from Portsmouth, the Premier League club said yesterday.

"We have reached an agreement with Portsmouth and with Glen Johnson for the transfer of the player to Anfield," Liverpool said on their website (www.liverpoolfcv.tv).

Former Chelsea player Johnson has become an England regular under coach Fabio Capello and has 15 caps for his country.

Johnson, who began his career at West Ham United, struggled to make his mark at Chelsea but has become one of the best attacking full backs in the Premier League at Portsmouth.

Adriano scores hat-trick

Brazil striker Adriano scored a hat-trick as Flamengo crushed Internacional 4-0 in the Brazilian championship on Sunday.

Adriano, who left Inter in April because he was unhappy in Italy, opened the scoring the 13th minute when he lobbed keeper Lauro from the edge of the box.

Emerson increased Flamengo's lead and Adriano, left out of Brazil's Confederations Cup squad due to his recent lack of regular football, scored with a free-kick before half-time.

Adriano, who took his tally to four goals in four games, completed a hat-trick with a 68th-minute penalty.

Flamengo coach Cuca will have been relieved to see his team win at home after 4-2 and 5-0 away defeats in their previous two matches had fans calling for his head.

Lippi urged to axe old guard

The Italian media urged coach Marcello Lippi to reconsider his policy of basing his side on players from the 2006 World Cup-winning squad following the humiliating exit from the Confederations Cup in South Africa.

The world champions went out on Sunday when Brazil outclassed them 3-0. Lippi's team lacked ideas and looked fragile in defence.

"The hope is that this lesson serves to spur Lippi to return to South Africa in a year's time with another team," wrote La Gazzetta dello Sport.

"It is necessary to accelerate the introduction of some youngsters, even though not all of the World Cup winners should retire."

FIFA to mark death of Foe

FIFA will commemorate the death of Cameroon midfielder Marc-Vivien Foe with a special event before the Confederations Cup final at Ellis Park on Sunday.

Foe collapsed on the field and lost consciousness during a Confederations Cup semi-final against Colombia at the Stade de Gerland in Lyon, France on June 26, 2003.

He was later found to have suffered from hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a heart-related disease. He was 26.

"Just before kick-off when the teams are assembled in the middle of the field, we will have a message to the world about what happened," FIFA president Sepp Blatter said.

"It was a very sad and tragic event, but what has come out of it is that football learnt about cardiological diseases."

Barcelona want to keep Eto'o

Barcelona president Joan Laporta said he hoped Samuel Eto'o would see out the rest of his career at the club despite interest in the Cameroon striker from major European clubs.

"Eto'o is the best striker in the world, highly valued in the market. It would be nice if he could finish his career at Barca," said Laporta.

"But Eto'o's contract ends next season and that requires us to sit and talk. The club wants him to continue for many more years, always in line with our wage structure."

Eto'o, 28, has reportedly sparked interest from Manchester City and Inter. Spanish media say Barca value him at €60m.