Rome Archive

Rome, Nov 3 (DPA) David Beckham is due to be back at AC Milan where he will play from January to the end of the season on loan from Los Angeles Galaxy.

‘We are very happy to see David Beckham again donning the red-black jersey after the great experience of the past season,’ Milan vice president Adriano Galliani said late Monday.

‘We are certain that this period in Europe will help the footballer to take part in the next World Cup (with England in the summer of 2010) and then continue his career with Los Angeles Galaxy, whom we want to thank for their helpfulness.’

Beckham joined Milan last December and debuted in January after the Serie A winter break. He played 18 games, scoring two goals, before returning to Galaxy.

‘I needed the best possible opportunity to play the World Cup. Playing on loan with Milan will help me do it,’ the former Manchester United and Real Madrid player said.

‘I liked my previous experience at Milan very much and I can’t wait to meet again the team and the staff.

‘I want to thank (Galaxy president) Tim Leiweke and (coach) Bruce Arena for giving me this opportunity. I’m still tied to Galaxy and to the (US) Major League Soccer and I feel engaged as usual to favour the growth of football in America.

‘Now I’m totally focussed to end this season in the best possible way with my club and win the MLS Cup.’

Rome, Oct 26 (DPA) With a call to courage, Pope Benedict XVI ended a three-week long synod on Africa Sunday, telling attendees to seek the courage to find peace.

‘Coraggio, Afrika, stand up!’ appealed the pope, telling the continent to seek ‘a peace that opens everyone of good will to overcome religious, ethnic, language and cultural differences’.

In its final document, the synod urged Africans to work together for the continent’s political-economic future. It added that the negative consequences of Africa’s history of colonialism and the slave trade could no longer be used to excuse Africa’s lack of development.

In effect, Africans must now set challenges for themselves and create conditions that respect human dignity.

Benedict repeated comments from an encyclical released in July, in which he called for ‘social globalization’, a policy of promoting advancement and development for all countries, not just a chosen few.

He opened the synod Oct 4 with a strong appeal against modern-day colonialism and exploitation of the continent’s wealth.

The day before, a bishop’s synod had criticised discriminatory immigration policies of the industrialized nations. Those ‘restrictive’ policies and accompanying immigration laws go against basic universal rights and the teachings of the church, synod members said.

About 200 bishops discussed the future of Africa at the synod.

Rome, Oct 25 (DPA) Title holders Inter Milan beat visiting Catania 2-1 to remain atop the Serie A with a two-point lead on Sampdoria.

Ghana’s Sulley Muntari and Dutchman Wesley Sneijder sealed Inter’s win late Saturday after Samp hammered 10-man guests Bologna 4-1 through goals from Giampaolo Pazzini, Reto Ziegler and a Daniele Mannini brace.

The Genoa side had notched only two points from the last two games after a 1-0 win over Inter and trail now on 20 points from nine games.

At the Giuseppe Meazza, Catania tried to start off with aggressive midfield tactics, but fell behind after 13 minutes largely due to a blunder from Andrea Campagnolo.

The goalkeeper remained static on the goal line when a cross from Muntari bounced in the area and inflated the net as Cameroon star Samuel Eto’o missed the deflection by a hairsbreadth.

A first telling action for Catania on 20 minutes was a long-range drive from Argentine Ezequiel Carboni that Julio Cesar deflected by his right post.

Inter remained firmly in control and were far more threatening on 28 minutes with a smashing shot that Patrick Vieira slammed against the bar.

The second goal that secured Inter’s win came three minutes later from a free kick that Sneijder curled into the upper left corner with Campagnolo barely able to scrape the ball with his fingertips.

Catania pulled one back with seven minutes left as Giuseppe Mascara, who came on in the second half, converted a spot kick after Julio Cesar floored Gianvito Plasmati, also a substitute.

Other second-half thrills were a Campagnolo save on a high header from Eto’o as the striker tried to tap in a deflection and a dithering clearance from Brazilian Lucio before Julio Cesar, who then blocked an angled effort from Plasmati.

Eto’o tried his luck with a late free kick flew high above the upper right corner.

The joint-third Juventus and Fiorentina Sunday look to reduce a seven-point gap when they play away to Siena and at home to Napoli, respectively.

A mid-week round pits Juve against Samp, while Inter welcome Palermo and Fiorentina visit Genoa.