Sporting briefs

Lichtsteiner: Juventus have agreed a deal with Lazio for the signing of full-back Stephan Lichtsteiner. Lichtsteiner’s representative Federico Pastorello told La Gazzetta dello Sport: “We have been informed that an agreement has been reached between the Bianconeri and Lazio. We wait to be called and put pen to paper in order for Stephan to achieve his dream.”

Montella: Former Roma coach Vincenzo Montella was named as new coach of fellow Serie A side Catania yesterday, replacing Diego Simeone, the club announced. Montella, 37, had succeeded Claudio Ranieri at Roma in the middle of last season, but was unable to lead the team to the Champions League. Catania finished in 13th place last season.

Trezeguet: Former France international striker David Trezeguet has a '50 per cent' chance of playing for Napoli in the 2011-12 season, his agent, Antonio Caliendo, revealed yesterday. 'I can say that there's a 50 per cent chance Trezeguet will play for Napoli next season,' Caliendo said. 'We've taken a few steps forward, but you'd have to ask (Napoli sporting director Riccardo) Bigon.”

Marseille: Vincent Labrune was yesterday named president of nine-time French champions Marseille, majority shareholder Margarita Louis-Dreyfus announced in a statement. Labrune, formerly the chairman of the club’s supervisory board, replaces Jean-Claude Dassier, who was removed from his position along with director general Antoine Veyrat during a board meeting in Paris.

Godin: Atletico Madrid defender Diego Godin has revealed he would be open to a move to Chelsea this summer. He said: “In January, Atletico received an offer but the transfer did not happen. For Chelsea to still be interested in having me is an honour and means I must be playing well. Who would not want to play there? To do so would be a step up.”

Boloni: Greek Super League club PAOK Salonica announced yesterday that they had signed Romanian coach Laszlo Boloni on a two-year contract. Boloni replaces Greek coach Makis Havos, who was fired last week. The 58-year-old Boloni joins PAOK after an unsuccessful attempt to save Lens from relegation in Ligue 1.

Friendly: A friendly match between Italy and Spain, the last two countries to win the World Cup, will take place in Bari on August 10. The last meeting between the two countries saw Spain prevail 4-2 on penalties after a 0-0 draw in a quarter-final match at Euro 2008.

Friendly: Poland vs France 0-1.

Serie B: Promotion play-off final, first leg – Padova vs Novara 0-0.

Rugby union: The European Cup final will return to Dublin’s rebuilt Lansdowne Road in 2013, tournament organisers confirmed yesterday. It will be the first time that European rugby’s showpiece finale has been held in Dublin since 2003, when Toulouse beat Perpignan at the old Lansdowne Road. Twickenham has already been chosen as the venue for the 2012 final.

Boxing: Genaro Hernandez, a two-time super featherweight world champion, has died at his California home after a battle with cancer at the age of 45. Hernandez’s wife, Liliana Hernandez, said the fighter died on Tuesday of a rare cancer called rhabdomyosarcoma that attacks muscle fibers. Hernandez began his professional career in 1984 in South Los Angeles. He was World Boxing Association super featherweight champion from 1991 to 1994 and World Boxing Council super featherweight champ from 1997 to 1998 and finished his ring career with a record of 38-2-1 with 17 knock-outs.

Horse racing: Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom drew the ninth post and was installed as the early 2-1 favourite for tomorrow’s Belmont Stakes, the final leg of US flat racing’s Triple Crown. Kentucky Derby runner-up Nehro was made the second choice at 4-1 on Wednesday, with Preakness winner Shackleford the third favourite priced at 9-2 when a field of 12 horses were entered.

CAS ruling: World sport’s top court ruled yesterday that the European Boxing Confederation acted illegally when it moved the European amateur boxing championships from Bulgaria to Turkey. Nevertheless, the Court of Arbitration for Sports judged that as the championships are to start today, it was unable to reverse the confederation’s decision and return the hosting rights of the championships to Bulgaria. Bulgaria was informed by the European confederation that it had lost its hosting rights of the games as it was being investigated by the International Boxing Association.