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17 Sports hundreds greet del Piero in australia
SYDNEY Afp
Hundreds of fans greeted former Juventus great Alessandro Del Piero when he touched down in Australia on Sunday to begin a two-year stint with Sydney FC, in a major coup for the A-League. The Italian legend, 37, received an enthusiastic reception as he landed in Sydney from a 500-strong crowd who waited for hours hoping to catch a glimpse of their idol. "I am here not for the end of my career. I am here for the start of a new career," Del Piero, who spent 19 years at Juventus, told reporters before being whisked away to a waiting car. "I play to win," he added. Del Piero opted for Sydney FC ahead of clubs including Premier League giants Liverpool, on a two-year contract reportedly worth US$2 million a season. His signing has been hailed as a significant moment for Australia's A-League, which is entering its eighth season but has struggled over the years with patchy crowds and financial troubles. The international forward scored 208 goals in 513 appearances for Juventus and was their skipper. Football Federation Australia hopes he will boost attendances and corporate support for the A-League, as well as improve the standard.
allegri under pressure as Milan flop again
GiJĂ“N: Spanish supporters cheer during the fourth match of the davis Cup semi-final Spain vs uSa between Spain's david ferrer and uS John isner at the hermanos Castro park court. AFP
Australian officials probe Olympic prank claims SYDNEY
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MILAN Afp
Question marks over Massimiliano Allegri's future as AC Milan coach began appearing in the media on Sunday a day after the Rossoneri's second home defeat of the season. Milan, who begin their Champions League group campaign against Belgian side Anderlecht on Tuesday, suffered a shock 1-0 home defeat to Atalanta. It came three weeks after defeat to Sampdoria at the San Siro and a fortnight after Allegri's side appeared to be on the mend with a 3-1 away win at Bologna courtesy of a Giampaolo Pazzini hattrick. Allegri's relationship with club vicepresident Adriano Galliani is said to be deteriorating and reports last week claimed club owner Silvio Berlusconi was beginning to take "more interest" in the club's situation. Corriere dello Sport said Sunday it was Milan's worst start at home in 82 years, and that the defeat would create an even more "delicate" situation between Allegri and Galliani. Milan lost the spine of their team earlier this summer after selling Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Thiago Silva to Paris Saint Germain, as well as seeing several established veterans such as Filippo Inzaghi retire. Team captain Massimo Ambrosini, who was substituted in the second half and was later seen talking with an increasingly frustrated Allegri, said their departure should be no excuse.
Monday, 17 September, 2012
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USTRALIAN swimming boss Kevin Neil vowed an investigation Sunday into reports of pranks, ill-discipline, and an initiation ritual involving sedatives among the London Games squad. The sport is undergoing an independent review after Australia won just one gold medal, six silver and three bronze at the Olympics -- its lowest tally in the pool since Barcelona 1992. Recent reports have suggested some members of the much-vaunted but ultimately unsuccessful six-man freestyle relay team had an initiation ritual days before the Games that involved taking the banned sedative Stilnox. There have also been claims of swimmers upsetting teammates and coaches by prank calling and knocking on their doors late at night at their camp in Manchester, two days before the team went to London. Neil said the claims would be fully investigated as part of the review and he could "guarantee we'll get to the bottom of it", warning that swimmers faced expulsion from the squad if the Stilnox allegations were true. Australian team officials banned London Games athletes from using Stilnox, a powerful sleeping tablet with sometimes dangerous side-effects, which can include walking and driving cars while asleep. "If proven, a judiciary process needs to be adhered to," Neil told News Limited newspapers of the Stilnox claims. "(The judiciary) have the power to do all sorts of things -- cease membership, disqualify (athletes)." Neil accepted responsibility for Australia's poor showing, its first Olympics without an individual swimming gold since 1976. But he said there had been a "real downturn over some time" in Australia's
swimming ranks. "In 2006, no individual male won a medal at the Commonwealth Games, no individual male won gold at the Beijing Olympics," he said. "In 2010 at the World Championships not one of our swimmers was ranked number one in the world." Prior to 2008 Neil said funding was focused on the high-performance programme rather than discovering and fostering new talent and there had "obviously been a lag from that". "We've rectified that situation with more funding now going to junior development. We've now got a very good talent identification programme," he said.
Germans specialized win women's team time-trial VALKENBuRG: German team Specialized won the inaugural women's team time-trial on the opening day of the world road championships here on Sunday. The victorious team, led by 2008 world time-trial champion Amber Neben of the United States, completed the 34.2km course between Sittard/Geelen and Valkenburg in a time of 46min 31sec. Specialized finished 24 seconds ahead of Australian team Orica, who boasted the top two finishers in the 2011 individual time-trial in the form of Germany's Judith Arndt and Linda Villumsen of New Zealand. Apart from Neben, 37, Specialized's line-up also featured another American, Evelyn Stevens, Dutchwoman Ellen Van Dijk, and German trio Charlotte Becker, Trixi Worrack and Ina-Yoko Teutenberg. Afp
VaLKeNburG: Germany's Specialized - Lululemon cycling team jubilates on the podium after winning the women's team time trial at the uCi road world Championships AFP