Adriano Galliani, the Milan vice-president, said the Rossoneri will not venture into the January transfer market despite being linked with a move to wantaway Fiorentina midfielder Riccardo Montolivo.
“Montolivo? I don’t believe we will conduct any business during January, no buying or selling,” Galliani was quoted as saying.
“Last year we only made the additions that we did because of the number of injuries that we had sustained. This time though, once Seedorf, Gattuso and Flamini have recovered, we’ll be fine in midfield.”
MPs move to promote the game
As Estonia brace for their crunch Euro 2012 play-off against Ireland, lawmakers have just created a special group to boost football in the small Baltic nation. Thirty-three members of Estonia’s 101-seat parliament set up a cross-party group.
“We want to simplify the availability in Estonia of the globe’s most popular sport,” said MP Deniss Boroditsh, 31, elected head of the group.
“We should specifically value the fact that the success of Estonian football helps us to promote our country in a positive way,” added Boroditsh.
“The aim of the parliamentary group is to support the development of football in Estonia and to encourage more people to play the game.”
Gamberini backs under-fire coach
Fiorentina centre-back Alessandro Gamberini has jumped to the defence of under-fire coach Sinisa Mihajlovic and called on fans to get behind the team.
Fiorentina have not had a particularly bad start to the season in a league in which most teams are separated by only a few points. And yet fans have called for Mihajlovic to be sacked after two wins, three draws and three defeats in eight games.
“We know that the atmosphere is not the best at the moment but we ask fans to be patient and not to give up because their support and energy is fundamental,” Gamberini said.
“We are upset with the criticism of Mihajlovic... everyone is on the coach’s side.”
Kaka back for Brazil friendlies
Real Madrid’s Kaka is back in the Brazilian squad after coach Mano Menezes called him up for the November friendlies against Gabon and Egypt.
Kaka returns with Menezes – whose men are pre-qualified for the 2014 World Cup as hosts – saying he had brought him in based on strong recent form.
“I always said that when Kaka returns to a good productive level then he would return to the side and now is a good time for him to do so,” Menezes told a news conference in Rio.
Kaka has not featured for the Selecao since the 2010 World Cup.
Brazil face Gabon on November 10 and then play Egypt in Doha four days later.
Prandelli vows to wait for Rossi
Italy coach Cesare Prandelli has offered hope to Giuseppe Rossi by insisting the Villarreal striker remains in his plans for Euro 2012 despite suffering a knee injury which threatens his participation in Poland and Ukraine.
Rossi damaged cruciate liga-ments in his right knee in the 3-0 defeat at Real Madrid on Wed-nesday night and has been ruled out for up to six months.
“It’s really bad news for him and for us but we will wait for him,” Prandelli said.
“All he has to do is to think of recovering with calmness. The day he returns to play then we will consider him.”
Rossi, 24, played in seven of Italy’s qualifying games and scored once.
Gers in talks over new Lafferty deal
Rangers have opened talks with Kyle Lafferty’s representative about a new contract.
The Northern Ireland international’s agent, Gerry Carlile, met with Ibrox owner Craig Whyte in London on Thursday to discuss a new deal for the 24-year-old hit-man, who will enter the final year of his current contract next season.
It is understood the initial meeting was positive with more talks planned soon.
Lafferty, who was signed from Burnley for around £3.5m in 2008, has made it known he is keen to stay in Govan.
Russia jails fan killer for 20 years
A Moscow court yesterday jailed a Muslim man for 20 years after convicting him of killing a football supporter, a crime that sparked unprecedented riots outside the Kremlin.
A Moscow city court jury had earlier found Aslan Cherkesov guilty of killing Spartak Moscow Supporters Club member Yegor Sviridov late last year.
The presiding judge in the high-profile case sentenced Cherkesov to 20 years in prison for shooting dead the fan following the late night clash near a bus stop.
The incident highlighted the ethnic tensions running through Russian society and underscored the security dilemma facing officials after their successful campaign to bring the 2018 World Cup to Eastern Europe for the first time.