Donadoni Is Italy’s New Coach
Former national team midfielder Roberto Donadoni was selected as Italy’s new coach, replacing Marcello Lippi, who resigned shortly after guiding the Azzurri to a fourth World Cup title.
Donadoni, 42, is considered by many to be one of Italy’s best soccer players in recent decades. He started his career in Serie A with Atalanta Bergamo in 1984 and transferred to AC Milan in 1986.
During his years with the team, Milan won five Serie A titles, three European Cups, three European Super Cups and two Intercontinental Cups. The name “Dona,” as fans called him, became identified with Milan’s success.
As a member of Italy’s national team, he played in World Cups in 1990, when Italy finished third, and again in 1994, when Italy lost the final to Brazil in a penalty shootout.
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Portugal winger Cristiano Ronaldo won’t be leaving Manchester United, assistant coach Carlos Queiroz said.
“Is Cristiano staying? No doubt,” Queiroz told Sky TV in England. “Everybody knows during this period of the season there is some speculation. But we keep cool.”
Ronaldo has been vilified in England since his part in a red card on Wayne Rooney -- his Manchester United teammate -- in Portugal’s win over England in the quarterfinals of the World Cup.
The club issued a statement saying “there was no possibility” of the winger being sold and that the club would not entertain any offers.
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FIFA said it had opened disciplinary proceedings against Marco Materazzi for his conduct in Italy’s victory in the World Cup final.
World soccer’s governing body said it opened the investigation because of statements by France’s Zinedine Zidane, who was red-carded Sunday for head-butting Materazzi in the chest.
Zidane claimed he was provoked by insults from Materazzi, an Italian defender.
FIFA said it also summoned both players to attend a hearing of its disciplinary committee July 20. A decision is expected that day.
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The local World Cup coordinator for Berlin died four days after he shot himself in an apparent suicide attempt. Juergen Kiessling, 65, shot himself in the head hours after Sunday’s final and had been in a hospital since.
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New England Revolution forward Clint Dempsey was suspended for two games and fined $750 by Major League Soccer for “violent conduct” against Gonzalo Segares in the 31st minute of last Saturday’s game against the Chicago Fire. Dempsey scored the only goal on offense for the U.S. at the World Cup.
