Juventus Coach Will Step Aside
Marcello Lippi, one of the world’s most successful coaches, said Thursday that he would step aside as coach of Juventus at the end of this season, despite having a year left on his contract with the perennial Italian champion.
The move fueled speculation that Lippi, 56, might be positioning himself to take over as Italy’s national team coach after the June 12-July 4 European Championship in Portugal.
Lippi told the Italian news agency ANSA that he had decided some time ago to resign after winning five Serie A titles and the European Cup during two spells as Juventus coach.
The Turin team is in third place this season and, with three games left, cannot catch likely champion AC Milan.
“I am not going to any other team,” Lippi said. “I have refused any kind of discussion with anyone. The club tried to get me to change my mind ... but I am convinced that the right thing is to step aside.”
Milan Poised
AC Milan, which can win its 17th Italian championship with a victory over second-place AS Roma on Sunday, said Thursday it would add two significant players during the off-season.
“Two champions will be signed,” said Adriano Galliani, vice president of the team owned by Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.
Two possible targets are Dutch defender Jaap Stam, who is less than happy at Lazio, and Dutch forward Ruud Van Nistelrooy, who plays for Manchester United.
United went out of its way Thursday to deny repeated rumors that the striker, who has scored 106 goals in only three seasons with Manchester, would be sold, but British newspapers reported that Van Nistelrooy had fallen out with Coach Alex Ferguson and that his agent, Rodger Linse, had met with officials from Barcelona and Real Madrid.
Offside Ruling
European soccer’s ruling body, UEFA, said it would distribute a DVD to its member associations in an effort to clarify the offside rule before Euro 2004.
Last summer, FIFA issued guidelines stating that players who do not touch the ball or impede the goalkeeper’s view should not be ruled offside, but that interpretation has since caused confusion.
“We’re emphasizing that the offside rule itself has not changed,” said Ken Ridden, vice chairman of UEFA’s referees’ committee, adding that it is “important that we let players and coaches know how referees will apply the rule.”
Slovakian referee Lubos Michel said at a Euro 2004 workshop in Espinho, Portugal, that fans should pay attention too.
“It’s difficult to educate spectators on the offside rule,” he said. “There is so much emotion in the stands, and sometimes that’s because fans don’t know the law.”
MLS Update
The Dallas Burn acquired the rights to Honduras national team defender Milton Reyes from D.C. United for future considerations. To make room for Reyes, who turns 30 on Sunday, the Burn “reached a financial settlement and released” former Galaxy forward Gavin Glinton.... The MLS disciplinary committee suspended Chicago Fire forward Nate Jaqua for two games and fined him $750 for “violent conduct” against D.C. United defender Mike Petke during Saturday’s 1-0 Fire victory at RFK Stadium.
The defending champion San Jose Earthquakes have lost defender Eddie Robinson, 25, for the rest of the season after Robinson underwent surgery to repair a ruptured tendon in his left hamstring.
The Kansas City Wizards signed Serbian international defender Vuc Rasovic, 31, as a discovery player.
Rasovic, a free agent, had played for Krylya Sovetov in Russia, Partizan Belgrade in Serbia and Slavia Sofia in Bulgaria.
-- Compiled by Grahame L. Jones
