The door is open for AS Roma captain Francesco Totti to come out of international retirement before the 2010 World Cup, the head of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) said on Tuesday. The 32-year-old took a break from Italy action after being part of Lippi's 2006 World Cup-winning team and then decided to quit the national team last year, citing fitness problems.
Chelsea returned to their early-season form to open up a five-point lead in the Premier League, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi continued to make mincemeat of La Liga defences and Juventus extended their lead in Serie A. In France, Olympique Lyonnais retained top spot with a 2-0 win at RC Lens.
Raheem Sterling struck twice as the Premier League champions Manchester City beat Crystal Palace 3-1 at Selhurst Park on Sunday to stay within two points of leaders Liverpool.
Brazil coach Tite has recalled veteran central defender Thiago Silva to his squad for the World Cup qualifiers against Bolivia and Venezuela.
A long-range strike from Alessandro Diamanti helped struggling Bologna beat Genoa 1-0 and move out of the relegation zone, relieving some of the pressure on manager Stefano Pioli.
United are 16th in the standings with a game in hand heading into the international break.
Striker Julio Cruz headed in 10 minutes from time to spare defender Nicolas Burdisso's blushes and give Inter Milan a 3-3 draw at Anorthosis Famagusta in Champions League Group B on Tuesday. A win would have put the Serie A champions through to the last 16 but instead the group leaders gifted Anorthosis three goals.
Barcelona reached the last 16 of the Champions League despite being held to a 1-1 draw by a determined Basel at the Nou Camp on Tuesday.
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Chelsea have another chance to show off their new expansive style on Wednesday when AS Roma visit Stamford Bridge in the Champions League.
Manchester City conceded four goals in 36 hapless minutes on Saturday as they slumped to a 4-2 defeat by VfB Stuttgart in a pre-season friendly.
Toronto FC's Justin Morrow, executive director of the Black Players for Change organization, said MLS players wanted to add their voices to the movement.
The world champions face Belgium in a friendly in Florence on Friday ahead of their Euro 2008 Group C matches against the Netherlands, Romania and France.
Substitute Lionel Messi scored two late goals, including one in stoppage time, to lead 2006 winners Barcelona to a 2-1 victory at Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League on Wednesday. Last season's runners-up Chelsea were held to a 0-0 draw at surprise packages CFR Cluj, who were playing in Romania's third division just six years ago.
New of all that's transpired on and off the football field on Saturday.
Inter Milan signed Ricardo Quaresma from Porto on a five-year deal on Monday after the Portugal winger passed a medical, the Serie A champions said on their website (www.inter.it).
Francesco Valiani scored a stunning goal as promoted Bologna beat AC Milan 2-1 at the San Siro on Sunday to spoil Ronaldinho's Serie A debut.
The 55 teams have been divided into 10 groups of five or six, and the top two teams in each qualify directly.
Manchester United completed a 3-0 aggregate win over AS Roma while Barcelona beat German side Schalke 04 by a single goal at home to secure a 2-0 aggregate victory in the quarter-final of the Champions League.
Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool switch their attention away from European glory and back to the English title race at the weekend.
Inter, Liverpool sweating on last-16 spots
Goals from Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney gave Manchester United a 2-0 win at AS Roma in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final. In the other match of the night, Barcelona struck early through teenager Bojan Krkic for a 1-0 win over Schalke 04.
AS Roma captain Francesco Totti will miss Tuesday's Champions League quarter-final first leg against Manchester United at the Olympic stadium with a thigh injury.
Two goals in three minutes from Napoli's Goran Pandev were not enough to secure victory as his side threw away a two-goal lead to draw 3-3 at home to Udinese in an end-to-end Serie A thriller on Saturday.
Serie A leaders Inter Milan went nine points clear on Saturday after celebrating their centenary with a regulation 2-0 win over second-from-bottom Reggina.
Raul scored his 200th league goal to move Real Madrid eight points clear in the Primera Liga after a 2-1 comeback win over Espanyol on Saturday.
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Giorgio Chiellini's last minute header gave Juventus a 3-2 win at Cagliari in Serie A.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored twice as Inter Milan retained their Serie A title with a 2-0 win at Parma.
Dani Alves appeared to have won the game for Juventus when he headed them in front in the 83rd minute but Remo Freuler pounced to equalise six minutes later as he punished some sloppy defending.
Inter Milan will retain their title if they defeat AC Milan in next weekend's derby after the Serie A leaders beat Cagliari 2-1 on Sunday.
World No 1 Novak Djokovic maintained his perfect tournament record and advanced to his fifth China Open final with a 6-3, 6-4 victory against Andy Murray on Saturday.
'I haven't always expressed myself well. I said I would like to play with Neymar and Mbappe, but that doesn't mean I want to go to PSG'
Some of soccer's biggest names are cheering the rescue of 12 Thai boys and their coach from a flooded cave
Alessandria became the first third tier club to reach the Italian Cup quarter-finals in more than 30 years as their giant-killing run continued with a 2-1 extra-time victory at Serie A strugglers Genoa on Tuesday.
Marcelo Zalayeta capitalised on an early blunder by Inter Milan keeper Julio Csar as Napoli ended the leaders's unbeaten record in Serie A on Sunday with a 1-0 home win.
Coach Roberto Mancini has insisted that he never doubted his captain Mauro Icardi after the striker scored two goals in Inter Milan's 4-0 victory at Udinese in Serie A.
Roma came from behind to beat Real Madrid while Chelsea were held in Tuesday night's Champions League matches.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field.
