Real rift: Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon moved to improve relations with Milan yesterday, after the Italian club's vice-president Adriano Galliani launched a scathing attack on them in a Spanish newspaper. "We have read with great surprise the interview you gave to sports daily Marca," Calderon said in an open letter to Galliani. "We are absolutely sure that this is down to a dreadful misunderstanding between our clubs." On Wednesday, Galliani was highly critical of Calderon and his sports director Predrag Mijatovic over their attempts to lure Milan's Brazilian midfielder Kaka to Spain, and said: "Milan declares war on Real."
Zagallo: Former Brazil player and coach Mario Zagallo has left his job as the national team's technical co-ordinator. The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF), who named former captain Dunga as the new coach on Monday, announced the decision after the 74-year-old met CBF president Ricardo Teixeira. Zagallo won the World Cup as a player in 1958 and 1962 and coached the team which won Brazil's third world title in Mexico in 1970. He also coached them in 1974 and was assistant to Carlos Alberto Parreira in 1994, when Brazil won their fourth title.
Nedved: Pavel Nedved has decided to stay at Juventus even though the club has been relegated to the second division Serie B in Italy's match-fixing scandal. "I've never doubted that I would stay at Juventus," the midfielder was quoted as saying. "I don't lack offers, but my family and I are settled in Turin and then I owe a lot to the club and the Agnelli family (who own the club), who have always been close to me."
Ronaldinho: Brazilian soccer star Ronaldinho can hit the "net" again after winning exclusive rights to the domain name ronaldinho.com on the worldwide Web. The UN intellectual property agency WIPO said yesterday that an Internet dispute body it runs had ruled in Ronaldinho's favour in a cyber-squatting case. The Brazilian national is the latest in a long line of soccer stars to win cyber cases. A decision is pending in a case brought to WIPO by British international Wayne Rooney arguing exclusive rights to WayneRooney.com and WayneRooney.co.uk.
McBride: Fulham and US striker Brian McBride called time on his international career yesterday. "This is a special day in that I have the opportunity to thank US Soccer for all it has done for me and my family," McBride said. McBride is the second player to bow out of international duty since the team's dismal showing at the World Cup. Long-time captain Claudio Reyna retired following the loss to Ghana in the final group game.
Ecuador: Ecuador coach Luis Fernando Suarez has agreed to stay on in the job with the aim of taking the team to the 2010 World Cup. Suarez is the only coach of the four South American teams at the World Cup to keep his job. Brazil's Carlos Alberto Parreira, Argentina's Jose Pekerman and Paraguay's Anibal Ruiz all left following the tournament.
Henin-Hardenne: French Open champion Justine Henin-Hardenne is to rest for five weeks and will play just one preparation tennis tournament before the US Open, said coach Carlos Rodriguez. The 24-year-old Belgian has pulled out of next week's Acura Classic in San Diego and has pencilled in the Rogers Cup event in Montreal starting August 14 as her only event before the final Grand Slam event of the year at Flushing Meadow.