Robi opens his heart: "I'd return for our youths". About Lippi and the other managers he has played for: "I had the love of the people and took their spotlight: hence the difficult relations". About today's football: "I am excited about Messi"

MILAN, 29 March 2008 - We meet Baggio on an early-spring Sunday morning. He is with 5 thousand people: young Buddhists like him who have gathered in the Assago-Milano Palasport for a celebration meeting. His presence had not been announced, needless to say, otherwise there would have been a crowd of journalists trying to get even a single word out of him. Roberto Baggio is like that: introvert and serene in his new post-football daily rhythms. Hundreds of people looking for interviews, thrills and stories keep knocking on his door, in vain, protected by his loyal friend and manager Vittorio Petrone

They all bounce back including heads of State and Government. Roberto hides his life like he hid the ball, which often only resurfaced to enter the goal. He does not want to waste it: it is dedicated to a few old friends, to hunting, his great passion, to the countryside, to his beloved Argentina, to his wife-friend-accomplice Andreina, his three children, the odd trip as FAO ambassador, to militant faith, without showing off.

Here is a list of the big favourites for the Spring Classicissima: from the specialist Freire to Petacchi, from Cancellara to Pozzato. Vote in the poll: who will win?

MILAN, 20 March 2008 – Fifteen names for the Classicissima. Fifteen candidates for the first big title of the season. Here are all the hot favourites for the 99th Milan-Sanremo.

Oscar FREIRE (Spain/Rabobank) – He won two stages of the Tyrrhenian. He has already won the Sanremo in 2004 and 2007. He is the man to beat.

Paolo BETTINI (Italy/Quick Step) – He is not in great form, but he is a born fighter and will want to do justice to the world champion’s shirt.

Fabian CANCELLARA (Switzerland/CSC) – He won the Tyrrhenian showing himself to be in great form. He has previously won a Roubaix and can be dangerous on the downhill from Poggio.

First success of the season for Ferrari at Sepang, but the party is ruined by the Brazilian who spins out and costs the team a one-two finish. Kubica finishes in second place and Kovalainen in third. Hamilton fifth after problems in the pits. Excellent fourth place for Trulli

SEPANG (Malaysia), March 23 2008 – Ferrari tasted their first success of the season in Malaysia during the second race of the 2008 grand prix calendar. Kimi Raikkonen won finishing ahead of Robert Kubica and Heikki Kovalainen, with Trulli an excellent fourth. If the GP of Australia was plagued with errors from all but McLaren, in Malaysia it was Ferrari's consistency and reliability that triumphed. But certainly not those of Felipe Massa, who's spin 26 laps before the end of the grand prix - as the driver was in second place - left the team rueing their missed chance for a one-two finish and two zero point finishes in two weeks in the constructors championship. McLaren did not perform any better as an error during the first pit stop put Hamilton, who had started well, out of contention for the victory. Hamilton eventually finished fifth, but it was a bad day at the office for the Woking team.

The Australian Grand Prix, inaugural race of the 2008 F1 World Championship, is almost upon us and expectations are growing.

MELBOURNE (Aus), 12th March 2008 - Four days to go. As always, everyone is upbeat and optimistic prior to the race and Felipe Massa is no exception. The Ferrari driver is looking to redeem himself in terms of both the championship and the race: last year he was unfortunate during qualifying and finished the Australian GP in sixth place.

OPTIMISM - "I can't wait for Sunday afternoon," said the Brazilian, "I arrived here yesterday after spending some time at home in Brazil. My lifestyle there is the same as ever: the biggest change since last season is that now I'm a married man. Winter testing went well and I was very pleased with the car, both at the start and following the developments that took place during the winter months. We obviously cannot rest on our laurels, but the team has done an excellent job and we have a great deal of mileage under our belts."

Italian sports carmaker and race team Ferrari will lend its knowhow to help Italian teams competing in the Olympics.

Rome, February 24 - The initiative became official on Monday with the presentation of a joint team project entitled 'Together to Win' involving Ferrari and the Italian Olympic Committee Coni, which is also the sports authority in Italy.

The project will see Ferrari offering its research and technology experience to help boost the performance of Italian teams in Olympic events.

Vienna, February 13 - Former Italy manager and seven-time Serie A winning coach Giovanni Trapattoni is the new manager of Ireland, the Italian veteran announced at a press conference in Salzburg Wednesday.

Trapattoni said he had been given a two-year contract starting from next June, when he leaves his present club Red Bull Salzburg.

''This is a great new challenge for me,'' said Trapattoni, who will be 69 next month.

The terms of his contract were not released but press reports have said he will get two million euros a year.

Trapattoni said his more immediate goal was to win a second straight title with Salburg.

Rome, February 11 - The exultant face of AC Milan's 18-year-old striker Alberto Paloschi dominated Italian sports pages on Monday after an astonishing Serie A debut against Siena.

Paloschi, who came on in the 18th minute of the second half and scored after just 18 seconds, prompted dailies to note excitedly that this was the fastest ever goal on a Serie A debut.

''Homage should be paid first of all to the courage of this newcomer, who jumps on the first decent ball with the confidence of a veteran and slams it in the net. Kid, you've made history! No one has done better on their debut,'' wrote Gazzetta dello Sport.

The young player was immediately likened by pundits to two other star youngsters who scored on their debuts for Milanese teams: Brazilian Alexandre Pato, for Milan, and Mario Balotelli for Inter. In fact, Paloschi was already being called ''The white Ballotelli'' and even ''Patoschi''.

Newly crowned Giro d'Italia winner Danilo Di Luca says he has no plans for the near future other than relaxing after his gruelling win in the world's second-biggest cycling race.

"I don't plan to do anything, I'm going on holiday," Italy's Di Luca said a day after cruising into Milan to become the first-ever southerner to win the Giro in its 90-year history.

Di Luca confirmed that he won't be taking part in next month's Tour de France, the Giro's elder cousin, but had an eye on the world road race championships in Stuttgart, Germany on September 30.

"I think I've almost done enough for one year," the 31-year-old from Pescara in Abruzzo told Italian radio. "After all, I did win the (one-day classic) Liege-Bastogne-Liege too". "I think I've earned a nice long rest. Then I'll start gearing up again for Stuttgart".

Luna Rossa 'ready to roll'. Italians confident of beating Kiwis for America's Cup shot.

Luna Rossa are in confident mood ahead of the Louis Vuitton Cup (LVC) final against Team New Zealand, which starts Friday.

The winners of the first-to-five series get to challenge America's Cup holders Alinghi of Switzerland for sailing's most coveted trophy.

The New Zealanders were LVC favourites at the start of the competition but the Italians fear no one after thrashing BMW Oracle of the USA 5-1 in the semi-finals.

"Our team is feeling pretty good," said Luna Rossa's Andy Horton at the pre-race press conference Thursday. "We have had some good practice, some good starts and races...working on some of the things we learned we weren't sharp enough on in the semi-finals.

"And we've had some time off, which is important for any high-level sports team. We feel rested, after being away and doing something that has nothing to do with sailing. "We are ready to roll". Pundits are predicting a close affair.

It was a very sweet evening in Athens for AC Milan captain Paolo Maldini, 39, as he lifted another Champions League trophy aloft.

The Athenian air was equally sweet for Pippo Inzaghi, whose two goals saw off the Reds,and for Carlo Ancelotti, savouring success at the end of a particularly difficult season.

It was sweet for Kakà, who can now add this trophy to a CV that makes him a contender for the Golden Ball. But above all, it was a sweet evening for the celebrating Milan fans, who were enjoying revenge for that ill-starred final in Istanbul two years ago.

Yes, AC Milan is on top of Europe again.After a 2-1 victory over Liverpool, the best Cup of them all is in the Rossoneri’s trophy cupboard for the seventh time.