FIFA Updates

Milan striker Alexandre Pato is aiming high this season, claiming that the club can challenge in both Serie A and the Champions League following a couple of disappointing campaigns.

The Italian giants were eliminated in the Round of 16 by Manchester United in Europe and finished third place in Serie A, 12 points behind first-placed city rivals Inter.

The Brazilian missed large portions of the season through injury in 2009-10, making just 25 appearances in all competitions for his club, but he insists he and his team-mates will be more competitive in 2010-11 under new boss Massimiliano Allegri.

“I’m ready. This year I want to do well and above all want to win,” he explained upon arriving at Malpensa airport, according to sportal.tv.

“With our new coach we can win the championship and the Champions League.”

Plenty of uncertainty surrounds the club’s transfer market at the moment as the saga regarding the potential departure of playmaker Ronaldinho continues.

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* Inter set to tie up Benitez deal on Wednesday

* Benitez will replace Mourinho

MILAN, June 8 (Reuters) – European champions Inter Milan are
poised to appoint former Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez as coach
after the departure of Jose Mourinho for Real Madrid, Inter
president Massimo Moratti said on Tuesday.

“We have found an agreement, we have defined the last
details which were not important. Tomorrow we will say when
Rafael Benitez will be presented,” Moratti told reporters on
Tuesday.

“We just need a second signature and it is done,” he said,
without giving further details.

The Spaniard, who left Liverpool after six years on Thursday
following a disappointing campaign, will have the difficult task
of matching last season’s stunning treble of Champions League,
Serie A and Italian Cup success under Mourinho.

Real appointed Mourinho as their new coach last month after
agreeing a compensation deal with Inter.

Inter have acted quickly to tie up Benitez, who won the
Champions League with Liverpool in 2005 and reached the final
two years later having previously also had success with
Valencia.

Moratti first targeted England boss Fabio Capello but when
the Italian decided to stay until Euro 2012, attention turned to
Benitez when he left Liverpool.

Benitez’s departure from Anfield came as little surprise
after they finished seventh in the Premier League in the season
just ended, their lowest position since 1999.

Their failure to advance from the group stages of the
Champions League last season and their failure to even qualify
for the Champions League next season were ultimately two
failures too many for the Liverpool board to accept.

(Reporting by Antonella Ciancio, Editing by Justin Palmer)

JOHANNESBURG (AP)—Inter Milan has already had an extraordinary season and many
of its player could be celebrating even harder by July 11.

The Italian club has 10 players at the World Cup and they are in line for a
clean sweep of all major trophies if they win next month’s final at
Johannesburg’s Soccer City stadium.

Inter Milan won every competition it entered in the 2009-2010 season. It
collected the Champions League, the Italian league title and the Italian Cup.

Brazil right back Maicon plays for Inter and says he”wants to finish the
season in style.”

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. (AP)—Clarence Seedorf scored two minutes into the second
half to give AC Milan a 1-0 victory against the Chicago Fire in an exhibition
match Sunday night in front of a sellout crowd at Toyota Park.

Seedorf battled his way through the Fire defense and into the box. Fire
goalkeeper Andrew Dykstra challenged him, but the seasoned midfielder beat
Dykstra with a low ball into the right side of the net.

Fire midfielder Patrick Nyarko attempted a bicycle kick in the 72nd minute,
but also struck the head of defender Luca Antonini. Nyarko received a yellow
card. Antonini eventually returned to play.

Chicago’s Julio Martinez drilled the ball on goal off of a corner kick
attempt in the 90th minute, but it was blocked by Dida.

WASHINGTON (AP)—D.C. United proved they can indeed score—albeit when the
game doesn’t count—as Chris Pontius had a goal and an assist Wednesday night
in a 3-2 victory over Italian powerhouse AC Milan in an international friendly.

United have scored only four goals in nine MLS games, but they found the net
with relative ease against an unmotivated Milan team that essentially was taking
a leisurely American holiday after the long Serie A season.

Star Brazilian forwards Ronaldinho and Alexandre Pato helped draw 30,367
fans to RFK Stadium, but Milan was without at least a half-dozen players who are
with various national teams preparing for the World Cup. Ronaldinho did have one
highlight—a right-footed bicycle kick that hit the right post early in the
second half, a close call that left the former two-time FIFA world player of the
year smiling in disbelief.

Luciano Emilio scored off Pontius’ assist in the 20th minute, and Pontius
headed in Santino Quaranta’s corner kick in the 30th. Danny Allsopp got credit
for a goal in the 61st when goalkeeper Christian Abbiati attempted a sliding
save—only to deflect the ball off the United player’s shin and into the net.

United played the final 25 minutes with 10 men after substitute midfielder
Brandon Barklage was taken off on a stretcher with an ankle injury. Milan
substitute Massimo Oddo took advantage by scoring twice in a four-minute span,
converting a penalty in the 70th and a long-range shot in the 74th.

Barklage will have an MRI on his left ankle on Thursday.